Chapter 436 - Evaluating Worth

As Afton had suspected, the servos of the Power armour were designed for those with regular, or above-average strength... Afton certainly wasn't in either category, so when he tried to move in the armour, he felt slow and sluggish.

There was, of course, a good reason for this, if the strength was set too high the armour might tear someone's arm off, but that wasn't really a problem for Afton who had 11 Strength and potentially more depending on the circumstances.​​

To rectify this he explained his varying strength to the scientists and got them to recalibrate it, and add some leniency for when his strength increased in combat. Though, Afton didn't really think it was possible for him to take damage while in the suit, so his strength might well stay the same while he is wearing it.

After a few more hours of testing, Afton was finally happy with the armour... It still needed some touch-ups here and there, but he'd let the scientists handle that. Hopefully Tamia wouldn't take too long to find a doctor or he might just head to the Fort without her.

Elsewhere :

"Those fuckers took ma' gun!" Drake exclaims as he sits up, aggravating his injuries further.

"Will you just lay the fuck down and stop ruining the work I just put in? You tear the stitches one more time and I'll let you bleed out!" Madeleine growls out, resting a hand on her shoulder with a threatening look.

"W-well we can't just do nothin'! They stole my shit and stopped us from raking in the caps!"

"I don't know, I heard that this Parker guy is tougher than all of his group combined... I think you are lucky he wasn't in the base." Hunter adds from the side, placing pieces of shrapnel on the makeshift table as if he were doing a puzzle.

Madeleine nods, "Just looks at Stasus, I ain't seen him beat up this bad since fighting that Lanius fucker..."

Drake scowls, "Don't remind me, this is the second damn time we've had to run away with nothing to show for it!"

Madeleine just shakes her head, "Better than what most groups do... Most groups don't go waltzing into a heavily fortified town and come out alive."

Drake jus snorts, "Barely."

"Well too bad you lost your gun, but I had to use all of my decoy's to save your sorry butt!" Hunter states, wondering if trading his grenades for Drake's life was even worth it.

"Hunter, that gun isn't something you can get back like a grenade, it's a prototype the NCR had hidden away in a lab, I doubt there's another like it in the world!"

Madeleine scoffs, "Well you shoulda thought about that before getting cocky. Now, we're headed to the NCR Outpost to rest up, afterwards we can think on what we should do afterwards." she states, not giving Drake any opportunity to complain.

Elsewhere :

Tamia had just entered the Strip from Freeside, she'd been getting the stink-eye from every NCR soldier she walks past, but she ignores it. They had probably been told of her affiliation with Afton and his group, but didn't want to offend House by acting against her.

Still, it was getting pretty annoying... She'd gone from a courier with amnesia to Houses agent with a storied past. Who is also incredibly famous and known throughout the Mojave.... For some reason.

Shaking her head, she greets Victor and enters the Lucky 38, travelling up the elevator and eventually standing before Mr House, or at least the computer that claims to be him.

"You're back... And without having completed the task I've given you I might add." House states knowingly.

Tamia just shrugs at him, "To be honest, I haven't really had the chance... I've been pretty busy."

"Indeed you have, how's Novac coming along? Look to me like you have the start of an independent nation brewing."

Tamia shakes her head, "Nothing like that, we're just making sure the town and its people are safe. With both the NCR and Legion wanting the position and Afton, the place would have been destroyed without our intervention."

"Ah, now that I agree with. Both sides would fling faeces at each other until nothing remains of the town but a crater. But that is not what worries me, it is your relationship with this Afton Parker that I am finding difficult. The revelation of his origins that the Legion so helpfully shouted across the Mojave has tainted your reputation, and subsequently, mine." House explains.

Tamia squints at him, not liking where this is going, "And what would you have me do? Cut ties and find some other group willing to raid the Legion's headquarters?"

"No, no. Not at all. Even I could see Afton and his group's worth in causing utter mayhem and destruction. You will need something like that in order to get out alive. No, all I am saying is to be careful who you are seen collaborating with. As far as I'm concerned, the Legion can sit in their radioactive squaller and die out in agony... But the NCR is a useful ally to have, they provide the majority of New Vegas's income I'll have you know. The tourism, gambling, whoring, and luxuries the NCR civilians and soldiers imbibe, breathe life into this city. Without them, I'd be forced to deal with tribes and wanderers, which certainly wouldn't lead to the civilised society I am trying to foster."

Tamia nods, "Good, because I have no intentions of betraying them. Plus, if you need a persuasive reason to keep them around, know that Afton has access to technologies and scientists far above whatever the NCR and Legion have available. I'd want to keep on his good side if I were you, the shit I've already seen him doing is far beyond anything I've seen in New Vegas." she explains, not giving the man any specifics but letting him know just how valuable Afton could potentially be.

"Hm? Is that so? Perhaps I need to reevaluate his worth then..." House mutters before turning his attention back to Tamia. "Now, what is it you have come here for?"