Memoirs of a New Vegas Bitch, Part 13

We continue our journey through the New Vegas casino families, with a few hiccups along the way.




Ok, heres how it'll work. I'll keep quiet for 100 caps and your help figuring out what's going on. Deal?







'Specialist'? Thats more than a little vague. Whats his real deal?




Yeah, if a guy lives in a place like this I can hardly expect him to be clean. And what about this Troike guy?





Ugh, I'm remembering why I dreaded coming here. Look, so, you have any idea about this overall plan?



Wow, you are such a fucking help, aren't you? Look, just sit tight and I'll figure this out.



I'll consent to this tiny amount of assistance.



Right, this Clanden guy is in tight with them, so I'd imagine he'll be in the Suites.



Eh, looks like the Tops with worse lighting. Makes it less nice to be in, but makes my job easier.



The food is probably the least disgusting thing about this place, so I think I'll help myself to some.



Huh. Pretty roomy for a guy who doesn't use prostitutes supposedly. Maybe they had no rooms that didn't double as orgy venues.

Hey, sorry to wake you buddy, but I've been given reason to ask you what you're up to around here.



...Wow. How informative. So you got this plush suite for 'this and that'?



....Look, Cachino told me you were worth talking to.



Look, ya know what? Just go to hell.



Well theres definitely something to this guy worth investigating. Lets see if I can't lift the key to this place.



Okay, lemme just take thiiiss....



Eh-heh...sorry, my hand slipped. Guess being in this place is making me feel kinda grabby.

Our first failed pickpocket attempt. It seems Clanden has higher perception than most. Rather than risk angering him, I let him walk off and go loot his room, which has little other than that unopenable safe. I never realised how much a low Science and Lockpick could cut you off from people.




I find him again walking up and down this corridor like a robot. Theres nothing here he could be doing, unless he has a fetish for this particular patch of damp wallpaper.




And since we've tried and failed to pick his pocket, apparently we can't try a second time. I also can't kill him to make myself feel better, since that guard is there and I'd likely have to kill him too, possibly triggering hostility with the entire casino.




Ah, screw this noise, I don't have time for jerks like that. I'm going down to the bad parts, where they probably stash the other guy.

The quest thankfully only requires you deal with one of them for some reason, maybe you get different dialogue if you handle both but its not necessary. Last time I dealt with Clanden (lets just say that what he has in that safe made even my pacifist get mad), and then went back to Cachino before even meeting Troike, probably because Gomorrah is a maze and finding anyone is a tough job.




Huh, ok, not too bad so far.



You know what? I'm going to keep my mouth shut from now on.



Heh, thankfully Clanden didn't get all his keys back. And with guards not giving a shit, I think I have the run of this place.

Yeah I dunno, Clanden took back even the empty bullet casings I took from him, but I still have this Zoara key, which is available on most of the major NPCs around here. Maybe its a glitch? Or maybe Cachino gave me one and I never noticed?




This room seems about right. Smells about right too. And only one occupant. I wonder....



Yeah, that response tells me who you are. So, I'm told by Cachino that you're the guns guy around here.



Well he did send me to you...But I'm more concerned about seeing to this plan of the bosses.



Right, right, the dead hookers. But frankly my sense of justice extends to the sights of my pistol, so I don't give a shit about what you've done. So, if I can get your contract nulled and you out of here, its all good to me.



Right, I'll have a chat with him. And it looks like this door leads to the bosses club on the main floor.



...This place does not look good from any angle.



The club is a little nicer though, so it makes sense for the big guys to hang out away from the writhing masses.



Uh, yeah...You know Mick And Ralphs, down in Freeside? They were kinda wondering if you were going to buy any more guns.



Fair enough...What is your business?



It probably wouldn't do to say what I think in polite company. Listen, I've been talking with your employee Troike.



Yeah, tempting as your offers are, he seems to want to get out of this place, probably to somewhere with water clean enough to bathe in. Maybe you could terminate his contract for him?



Well, if I was running this place? I sure as fuck wouldn't want a panicky idiot like that with a bunch of guns, a burgeoning jet addiction, and a proven history of killing people lounging around in my basement with nothing to do. You're not buying guns anymore, so you probably don't need him so badly to risk him setting the place on fire the next time one of your goons looks at him funny.



Thank you! ^_^




Oh, how I wish I could do the same. So, give me the skinny on the Omertas firepower.




No shit. Where did it come from, if not locally?




Ah, Gun Runners, makes sense. And how does it get here? House had...er, has tight controls on most things.



Modesty is for people with nothing to be immodest about.





Heh. Using the NCR as an exploitable resource. I have to approve. So, that explains the guns, now what to do about them....




Wow, just as I was starting to think I was wrong about you. Ok, hand it over and I'll make sure it goes in places that actually need damaging.





Yeah, I getcha. Get on out of here.

Okay now to find this baseme....



Must...save....thermite....for important things.....



How these people can just sit there in normal gambling clothes watching this...God damn, if I do fuck up and burn this place down, I'll consider it an ok turn-out.



Finally, GeneriCo (TM) basement door leading to tunnels. This must be it.



Looking promising, lets peep inside.




Ah-hah, sweet! Right, I'll take the good stuff, and the rest can burn.

Only two of the crates are actually searchable, the rest just give a 'attach Thermite' prompt. Presumably these are the only ones that are easy to open or something. In any case, we get a good, if rather mixed, haul.



That should be it, Boone, lets clear out.



And lights out!




Not bad, if I do say so myself. And given the dopey guards around here, I thought anyone heard that. So, lets see what Cachino has to say.



Hold on...that locked door, is that their cash room?



Only one way to find out.



Damn, they're smart enough not to actually give the keys to their door guards. Rats.



I head up to the Zoara Club again, taking the time to sell the Flamer we got to an unconcerned barman. Vodka, Napalm, its all the same.




And I combine the two Sniper Rifles together to get this impressive piece. We won't be needing that Cowboy Repeater anymore (which is good because I seem to have stashed all the ammo for it in Novac).


Anyway, we hop off the Balcony to get back to where Cachino is hanging out.


Ok, baldy, I've gotten rid of their store of guns. As for Clanden, fuck him, he's too boring to be of any threat.



I don't do flimsy work. I do wetwork though. Speaking of which, I'm guessing the next stage is...?



But of course! Bringing all these dangerous guns into, er, Mr. Houses nice safe and lucrative city. They need to be made an example of. And then after that...



Exactly. (And because I know your dirty secret, and that you don't have the balls to ever stop writing those journals, I'll have this place in the palm of my hand.)

(....That image is less wholesome than I thought it would be. I think I need to wash my hands.)

Ok, Cachi, its showtime.



Uh, yeah, thanks.



Up in the Zoara Club, huh? Hmm, maybe I didn't need to report in after. I mean, it wasn't like I wasn't killing someone for the crime of this place existing.



A shotgun. Thats...lovely.



Ok, Sal, you're the boss I guess.




I dunno, something about gun recycling? I hear scrap metal is in high demand for fixing water pipes.





And heres where things went a little off track. I had previously done this quest as a high level character with Speech up the wazoo, and thus passing this speech check to put these two on the back foot was childs play. But now, I'm suddenly up shit creek with no plan.




You can't shoot in Fallout while sitting down (unless your name is Tenpenny, I guess), so it takes a critical second to get up.




...By which point I'm already down half my health thanks to Nero and his assault rifle. Damn. I quickly start spamming stimpacks and food items, and some buff drugs to weather the storm.




And we immediately go into VATS. Gotta stop Nero from perforating us.




Hah! And now to do the same to Sal before he uses his shotgun.




...Well shit.


Er, um, nothing to see here, false reality, please ignore the Retcon Machine.






Ok, this time, after selling the flamer again and getting Cachino to slowly walk up here, I decide talking is for chumps and just draw Maria right now, capping Nero while he's still nuetral.




Big Sal turns hostile but seems confused, and heads out the door past me without shooting. Cue VATS round 2 (Maria's AP cost is small for a gun so powerful).




Aaaaand lets resume reality. You can decide for yourselves whether Lat had a chat with them or just ganked them.




Ah, the first of many services for my loyal subjects.



The quest ends rather abruptly, giving us a level up before we can even take stock. Not much to report, although I kinda wish I could afford more points for the B&E skills.






Uh, thanks. I'll go easy on you this time. But don't be shocked if I'm not in a rush to use these. Its not you, its that I wouldn't feel comfortable sitting on any more of your furniture.




The bosses office holds surprisingly little in the way of loot. They have their weapons, including Neros awesome Assault Carbine (Reminder: find more 5mm ammo. Far better use for the stuff than in an unwieldy minigun), and they have all kinds of passwords and keys, but nowhere obvious to use them. I could try finding where they go, but that would mean sticking around.



Oh wow, fresh fucking air, so good. Even this guys jokes can't spoil it.



Hmm, there seems to be a lot of NCR people going in an out of this rail-station place. Mr House gave them a lot of room to make them feel accomodated, but I wonder if the money they bring in will be worth their involvement.



Hmmm, these two country folk look a little out of place. Too well dressed to just be sitting in the sun and not gambling, but obviously not locals.



You two look like you've come a ways, stranger.



You own a Ranch? What, Brahmin, Bighorners?



Huh. And what about you, ma'am?



Oh? Why, afraid he'll wander off?




Who's this Gunderson fellow?




Huh. So there is a mystery...



Just talking to Walter won't give you any dialogue options to mention Gunderson, you have to pass a Stat Check. I chew some Tobacco to up my Perception enough. Its good for your vision, apparently.





A score? Some matter of honor, then?





Oh? Do you have a plan on how to do it?




Eh, you get points for dedication, not so much on the strategy department.



Angry old men with angry old vendettas is all very well, but I have an appointment with the owners of this place. After the ick-factor of Gomorrah, some ultra-luxury sounds just perfect.



AGH ITS A GIANT BABY!!!!

Oh god, be still my heart....That is one freaky mask, you asshole.






Yeah, cultivating atmosphere. Thats why you would wear baby masks. Right.

So, are my weapons somewhere safe?



Convenient.




Well, its certainly glitz enough, even if the staff have their masks thing.

Hold up...somethings a little out of place here.



Shotgun Yokel is not very camoflaged. You would at least have given him a bowtie.

So this fellow must be Heck Gunderson. Maybe he has something interesting to say. Or maybe he's a dickhole like the Phebus's said and I can get paid for spiking his drink with battery acid.



Uh, no sir, I can't say I have.




Funny how that happens. So, you're a rancher then?






Yeah, funny how success is easier to come by when the NCR Military aren't messing with things. So, I see your bodyguard get to keep a gun?





I can sympathise to a degree. I know being successful takes work. So, about this kid?






Why were you here in the first place? Maybe you should have gone to a less creepy casino. The Tops is pretty nice, even if the roofing needs work.




The White Gloves....





And I can't fault you on that at all.



Looks like Heck is the only person I can really talk business with here. If I'm going to get in with these 'White Gloves', I'm going to have to go in further.

---------------------------------------

So yeah, our first death, because I like the sound of our non-existent voice too much. Totally my fault, thought I'd be able to breeze through the speech checks needed, and instead got myself shot to pieces. Goes to show, shooting first and asking questions later might be our best call.


So we have the Ultra-Luxe to explore next, and because the possible quest in here involves heck, I felt it made sense to talk with the Phebuses (Phebii?) first. I haven't accepted their quest, which is basically an alternate outcome to Heck's quest, because I'd rather people choose.


So, how do we swing this? We have a few choices:


1: Ignore Heck and Walters little rivalry, explore the casino without worrying about them, meet the White Gloves ourselves, and see how things evolve naturally.


2: Side with Walter, and find a way to use Heck's current misfortune to 'make him suffer'.
2a: Side with Ethel, who wants the feud to end.


3: Help Heck find his son.


4: Take some time out to head back to Gomorrah, and try to see if we can rob the place, or at least find some more loot that no-one will miss (and maybe shoot a few people for completeness' sake). Then come back and do one of the other three options.