The Lonesome Road

Chapter 1: Goodsprings

They say war never changes, but people do, through the roads they walk and the paths they choose. But in a world like this does good and evil really matter? And who decides which is which?

Her head was on fire, her face clenched and contorted at the sharp pain to the right of her forehead. She sat up quickly, too quickly, her vision blurred and she felt like passing out.

"Whoa now take it easy." a mans voice startled her. Her head snapped in the direction of the voice but she could barely see.

"Who's there!" she said rather loudly.

"It's ok calm down. You're my doctors bed. I'm Doc Michel, what's you're name?" he asked calmly.

Her head still hurt but she could now see clearly. She was propped up by one arm on the bed, her other hand was holding her head. She was searching for an answer to his question.

What's you're name? What is my name?

She didn't know, she couldn't remember, she couldn't remember anything prior to now actually.

"I-I don't know..." she said finally.

"Well then I guess you're gonna have to give yourself a name." He said.

"Wait I-I think.... I was a courier... courier six I think..." she looked to him as if he knew who she was.

"Well that's a start. Ok Courier let's see if you can stand up." He got to his feet rather slowly maybe because of his age. He looked to be around 50. The Courier slowly slid off the bed, holding the metal edge for support.

"There ya go! You're doing great."

"What happened to me? Why am I in a clinic?"

"Well it's a medical mystery why you're alive but, you were shot in the head then buried alive, Victor dug you up and brought you here. I managed to get the bullet out of your head and patched you up but, I had to cut your hair in the process." He explained.

She ran her fingers through her almost buzz cut hair and sighed.

"How about we walk over to the Vig-o-matic across the room to test your skills." She nodded and walked slowly across the room to the machine. She had a level 9 in intelligence and charisma. And a 7 in strength and agility. But only a 3 in luck.

"That's pretty good! Let's go sit down for some questions about yourself so I can get to know ya better." He asked pretty basic doctor like questions that you would expect. Turned out she knew almost as much about medicine and science as he did! he walked her to the door and smiled.

"Well that's all she wrote! Here is all the supply's you came in with. Also I want you to have this" he held out a strange looking metal watch thing, she had never seen one before.

"What is it?" she asked one eyebrow raised.

"It's a pre-war Pip Boy 3000. It was my wife's but she's gone and doesn't need it." He smiled but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. She took the Pip Boy and slid it over her sleeve.

"If I were you I'd head over to the saloon and talk to Sunny Smiles."

"Will do Doc, and thanks"

"No problem Courier be careful out there, the Mojave cane be a dangerous place." She smiled and headed out the door.

The light was blinding but subsided in a second. She made her way down to the saloon, a rather elderly man grunted as she walked by.

She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach like.. a craving... but for what?

"Howdy partner" resonated behind her. She spun around and faced a tall robot with a cowboys face.

"Hello who are you?"

"I'm Victor! the one that dug you from the ground." He told the story of finding her with a group of men. He said one in a black and white checkered jacket shot her then the others buried her. He dug her up to see if she was alive and she was so he took her to the clinic.

"Thank you Victor." she said

"No problem partner" He said then spun and rolled away. She didn't trust him for some reason. She shrugged and turned back to the door of the saloon.

As she walked through the heavy wooden door she was greeted by a barking dog. She drew her pistol and pointed at the mutt.

"Woah Cheyenne stay!" a shorter girl with blonde hair commanded the dog. "Sorry she just doesn't know you." she put a hand out to shake "I'm Sunny who are you?"

That question again. Who are you? who am I?

She shook hands with Sunny and smiled "I'm the Courier."

"That's a silly name" Sunny giggled. The Courier's pit in her stomach grew bigger. "But whatever let's head out back to test you're hand at shooting." Sunny beamed and headed out the back door. She followed glaring at the dog as she passed it.

Once outside Sunny lined up some bottles along the top of the fence. Sunny shot one then handed the gun to the Courier.

"Try to shoot down the bottles."

The Courier shot down 5 but missed 3.

Sunny laughed "Not bad for a rookie!"

I'll show you a rookie!

The pit consumed her as she aimed for one of the bottles she'd missed. She only hit one in 4 tries as Sunny wailed with laughter. She pulled the trigger but the clip was empty in the hunting rifle. She handed the keeled over Sunny her gun back. Her lip trembled into a smile looking at Sunny's face. Sunny turned to go inside still giggling. The courier grabbed her by her hair and put her pistol to the back of Sunny's head, the laughter ceased.

"Woah w-what ya doing Courier?" Sunny asked In a panic.

The Courier giggled and looked into the sky as she pulled the trigger. Brain matter and blood sprayed her face, her giggles growing louder. Sunny's lifeless form fell to the ground in a slumped position, blood gushing from the hole in the back of her head. The Courier knelt down and looted her body, she was humming a familiar tune. Cheyenne ran out growling. She wasted no time slitting the dogs throat. She dipped her hand in the blood of Sunny's head wound and slicked her hair into a mowhawlk. That felt better. She licked her blood soaked fingers as she slung Sunny's gun over her shoulder and walked toward New Vegas humming 'Ain't that a Kick in The Head'.