Memoirs of a New Vegas Bitch, Part 14

Fallout is designed in an old-school style, where multiple ways to deal with a situation are both implemented and expected. However, this can sometimes clash with modern design sensibilities, where scripting is considered quite important to make things run smoothly. The result is situations that can go wildly off script, yet still work out in the end.


Apologies if theres any problems with the images, I had to use something other than Steams hosting because I messed up.



Okay Heck, I think I'll help you out, and find this kid for you. It pays for us successful types to help each other out.





Understood. (Money if I succeed, money if I don't, and money if I decide its too much trouble and shoot you.)



Hmm, this woman at the bar doesn't know anything but how to sell over-priced booze. Hey, are my glasses starting to break? I might have to pick up a spare pair at the Lucky 38. Or maybe I'll just go without, they don't completely go with the suit anyway.



Man, even the room for giving you casino chips is overdone here.



In contrast the lobby for the main part of the building is merely nice.



Oh, wow, thats an unexpectedly tall hat. Erm, anyway, I'd like to know a little more about your group, for my own personal curiosity.







Uh huh. Well, I can't fault you for sticking to a theme, anyway. Not sure it justifies the baby masks, but oh well. So, any wierd business going on? You're not looking to hire any mercaneries, sneak any packages out of the Strip, anything like that?



...Given I managed not to throw up in Gomorrah, I'd say I have a pretty strong stomach! Ugh, whatever.



Uh, could you keep it down lady?

Gotta be someone around here who knows something important. You! Talk to me, tell me why everyone is wearing masks.








Uh-huh. So you're just being fancy, and the creepiness is just a byproduct. Fair enough. But why aren't you wearing a mask?



...Right. Listen, I've been asked to look for someone, would you have any ideas where to look?





Welp, here I go.



Ok, less elaborate than I feared. So, I'm guessing the well-dressed and so-formal-she-looks-like-shes-in-pain woman is Marjorie.



So I assume you're work here and you're not just a guest who got lost behind the counter.






I see, so you're Marjorie, the one in charge. And I guess you're the one Heck Gunderson was here to meet?








Well, I suppose if you don't want everyone to eat, thats your call. So long as you guard the food.

Anyway, I'm kinda looking for a lost person, can you give me a hand?





WOAHWOAHWOAH Hold up there a minute, Marge!! What was that? You guys used to be cannibals?





Uh....Okay, that's informative. So, you said something about an investigator you were talking to?





Well, that may be, but I was looking for a man who dissappeared a few hours ago.





Yeah, you get on that. In the meantime, maybe I should talk to this other investigator, if this is a recurring thing.





I'm sure. Free ketchup-scented soap for everyone.



Well, this does look like it came from a cow, at least. But I'd still rather not risk it.






Uh...I'm on an investigation of my own. I'm just going to see if he can give me some leads. Why?



(Missing brides are grim?)





Uh, sure, I will.



It really seems like all the gaudiness is concentrated at the very front of the place, and all the rest of the rooms are just kinda nice.



First door on the right and...oh.



Oh, thats not good at all...



Its a setup!! Boone, keep the other one back!!




Phew, lucky they only set two guys, and without guns.



I think I'll take one of these fancy suits, if you don't mind.



Come on, you must have something on you...



Hurm...Well, its a clue at least.




Huh. Finally this place goes for impressive rather than glitzy.




Really? That...damn, that is kinda cool.

Wait, whats a 'Sea'?



Eh, its been too long since I engaged in some petty theft.



Finally, is this where it is?



YES.



Hmm, its almost 4, I'll just sit down.



This might be uncomfortable if there were any steam in here.



And right on time, look who it is.



A matchbook collector.



Well it appears his skull was caved in with a fancy dress cane. Funny thing.




Sounds like you're afraid of someone who wants to keep secrets. Can't imagine who...



So, Mortimer is the one behind all these dissappearances then? I couldn't imagine what kind of hobby he might have that would need a supply of healthy young people.







Well, I guess that's just the White Glove way, eating stuff that no-one else does. Except raiders maybe.

So, does this mean Ted Gunderson is carved into rump roast by now?







...Or maybe they'll just shoot him for playing a trick on them? I know thats what I'd do.





You know, given how much I've seen of them....That plans not entirely crazy. Much as I hate to admit it, you've got a point, they might just see it that way.

So, yeah, this quest requires you make a little bit of a logic leap to see the villains plan making sense, but what bugs me is how Chauncey knows all this. The only way he could know Mortimers plan is if he was one of the cannibals himself and then had second thoughts after they started eating their own guests. But this doesn't seem to come up in the conversation, so I'm not sure what to make of him.


Then again, we could expose them, and even if you don't want Securitrons everywhere, you can still call in Heck Gundersons posse.







Hmm, thats a good point, he doesn't have the best reputation. Well, I suppose the simplest thing is to get the kid. Where is he?






Right. Any extra help you could give, perhaps?




Heh...I am a pretty important person, yeah.



Hmm, Stealth or Showiness...I'm still better at the former overall. Still, getting him out at the other end might be tricky. I can handle it I'm sure...








Thats an awful lot of options...It seems like I could cut out a few middlemen if I tried.



Wait, me followed? How could that possibly-



GODAMMIT!!



Beat his ass, Boone!!



Er....thanks buddy.

For some reason, the White Glove dress canes are really good for hacking peoples limbs off.



Well, nothing on this guy but a light pistol. Hurts where he hit me, but nothing I can't walk off. No identification, but its fairly obvious who sent him.

And it was Chauncey that was followed, not me dammit.



Oh, drugs, is there nothing you can't do.

I realised after this that using Sunset Sarsparilla would have been much more efficient, especially since  I've been stealing bottles all around the pool, but oh well, not like I won't have a bajillion stimpaks after a while, as usual.




Well, this is where I need to go. Now, where to get the key...Oh! I know!!



Well Morty, I'd like to just cap you and be done with it, but I need to keep my reputation for now.



So I'll just take these...



Oh shit, he spotted me!!



Wait, Boone, no!! We don't kill him yet!





Well shit.

At this point I had to make a decision on whether to let this unexpected outcome stand, or reload my autosave from 30 seconds previously in order to do things 'right'. Given that the likely outcome was getting to murder a bunch of people in creepy baby masks, I decided to roll with it.




Ok, so lets look on the bright side. Mortimers dead and it didn't cost me any bullets. Now I just need to find the kid to get paid and get on Gundersons good side. Man, I hope this is worth it....

New plan: I'll put on one of their fancy suits and they might just think I'm one of them! Perfect plan.

Don't ask how those nice tuxedos transmuted into ballgowns once I put them on.




Ok, no cries of alarm so far, now to get into the kitchen.




Ok, into a part of the hotel that looks kinda ordinary. This is actually kinda reassuring.



They...cook their gourmet Brahmin Steak with flamethrowers? Wow...maybe I don't want to tangle with these chefs, I'll just sneak past.



Ugh, rotten meat. Their standards seem to fall off exponentially as I get further from the front door.



Oh shit, a guard. Guess the disguise isn't working.



Sorry buddy, I don't have time to get complicated with you.




Ah, the Mask was the key, not the dress. Ugh, I guess I'll struggle with it, for the sake of this mission.



Ok, wine cellar. Nothing much to report here.

At this point I'd basically forgotten everything Chauncey had said, and didn't even think of the wine-drugging he'd suggested. 




A proper kitchen, must be getting close now...Time for some more freebies.



That guys not wearing a mask, so he must be the Head Chef Philippe. That means his 'ingredients' are close by...



Ah, the freezer room. That sounds like what I'm looking for.



I hate these stupid RobCo terminals and their gibberish password spoofing backdoors. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing I've personally killed the man responsible.



Apparently the murders weren't enough, it was only when I opened their fridge door that shit became real.




Woah there sparky, this is just a disguise. I'm your dads new best friend, here to get you out.




Hey, its an extremely large and stupidly designed hotel with creepy baby people everywhere. Getting around takes time.



Not important, lets just go before I start to regret this.






I somehow get the impression you're not taking all of this entirely seriously, Ted.



I really have to wonder if I should eat here, even if they don't serve man. Then again, I just shot their head chef, so the qualitys probably going to go down anyway.



Also they're going to be lacking most of their ingredients.



Actually nevermind, I'll just eat at the Tops, safer all round.



And here we go.




Huh. The members only section seems to be just damaged furniture and empty boxes.




Ah dammit!! I thought we were clear. I'm blaming you Ted, Boones performance today has been too good for it to be his fault.



Huh, it seems those guys didn't hear the gunshots. Oh well, guess they'll just have to go hungry tonight.



Whoops, almost forgot to get something from Mortimer.






Er, sorry Heck, but in the middle of investigate Mortimers cannibal streak, he kinda had an accident. Unless you'd settle for brutalising his corpse.






Hey now, wait one darned minute!! I know the Strip has major problems! Heck, I'd even agree that 90% of the people here need a bullet between the eyes. But a blockade is not going to happen! I need this place to still run, goddammit, and that means we need to food.

....Also I'm fairly sure doing that would just encourage cannibalism, not stop it.







I dunno Heck, you'd be surprised how quickly you can go through 500 caps worth of bullets...



...You know what, you little shit? You and your pappy can go hang. I'll be in touch after I'm done getting things in order. And hopefully after your hides been leathered like I was promised.



Yeah, yeah. Just give me my guns so I can get out of here.

Despite my vilified status, only specific White Glove Bouncers are actually hostile to me. The others are too polite to do anything except insult me.




Well, I didn't get as much out of that as I'd hoped. This dress is a nice start, but...its kinda austere. Needs some frills.

Also, should I get new glasses or not?



Huh, the Pheebus's are gone. Maybe they got bored and wandered off?

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

Beyond the Beef is a quest thats simultaneously hard to do and hard to fail, because the 'right' way to do it is rather complex and can fail in multiple ways, yet if all else fails you can still rescue Ted and shoot your way out, or go to Heck for a weapon and shoot your way in to Ted. Still, it is an interesting setup, and with multiple ways through it can be one to experiment with.


However, because I didn't know this until after I'd completed it, I missed out on the chance to complete both quests. If I wanted to manipulate things to get a reward off both Heck and Pheebus, I'd have to reload a save and carefully manage how things go, essentially metagaming my way to a victory and invalidating this update (which took me forever to write up because there were so many pictures). Not something I'm eager to do, but if you guys insist....


If we're not messing with continuity, then the question of what to do next arises. We've dealt with the two factions in New Vegas, now we have to see about the Boomers, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Great Khans, and maybe think about getting to Fortification Hill. But do people want to try anything else in the meantime? Any quests you'd like to try to get us some needed XP? Maybe you'd like to see some of the DLC? Or will we charge on ahead into one of the main quests again?


Minor points: Will we go back to the Glasses-and-Benny-Suit look, or keep the new dress and bare-faced look? And should we try dressing Boone up? He's kinda been making do with that mask we gave him.
Also, are we totally done with the White Gloves, or should we do a number on them? Killing Marjorie should be enough to count them as 'wiped out' for Yes Mans purposes, or we can simply steal the contents of their bank. They hate us anyway, do we hate them back, them and their creepy babby masks?


All other suggestions and comments welcome, as always.