Chapter Text
Elisavet was always so careful about sending messages home, making sure her vitals were still being broadcast back, updating him on the local news, the mission status... Anything and everything, just if it was possible to get connected to those finicky satellites to send the signal all the way back home.
It had been too long.
At first, it was just a few days of silence here and there, and an apology with the next message.
A few days here and there turned into days at a time, then weeks...
...Then there was that time Elisavet didn't send anything for a month. He nearly had half-a-processor to go trying to find her himself, even if she was hundreds of miles away.
Now, however... It had been two months.
Pure radio silence from Elisavet and ERIE both.
No vitals recorded and sent, no warning... It was as if she had suddenly disappeared.
He could only hope that his calculated 5.82% chance that she had simply gotten into a mess and needed to lie as low as possible to protect them both.
Another day slowly drudged past in the cool winter in New Vegas. Her birthday and the winter solstice was coming soon... She wouldn't forget about that, right?
Quickly, he started forming his next message to them:
Hey there!
It's been quite a while since you last checked in; two months, two weeks, three days, nine hours, forty-three minutes and twenty-one seconds since the timestamp on the last transmission I received!
But that's alright, I'm sure you're just really, really busy acquiring that special thing we had been talking about!
Hm... What else...
New Vegas has been great!
The Lucky 38's casino has been making quite the profits recently, your idea for using reprogrammed Mister Handies to serve patrons has quickly proven feasible and within our capabilities.
The Tops has been quite busy, too. Swank and the Chairmen have been making an effort to improve the amenities of their casino to attract more patrons, and subsequently, their caps. We should start seeing more revenue from them shortly, if the amount of visitors over the past two weeks stays consistent.
The Ultra Luxe and Gomorrah both have been suffering profit loss due to the new amenities at the Lucky 38 and The Tops, but should quickly bounce back and supply us with more caps.
...That still didn't feel like enough. There was still so much he felt like he should say.
None of the Securitrons have encountered any members of the NCR, but there has been a few Legionaries seen. They're cute, thinking they can come back!
Don't worry about it, I already have the Securitrons prepared to storm the Legions newest camp.
I'm sure you're very busy keeping your cover, and definitely not dead in a ditch, so I'll send you another update tomorrow!
Love,
Yes Man
He saved the file, then closed it and put it away to think about before sending.
Another day passed, no message.
He quickly sent his message, and waited.
And waited.
...and waited.
...waited a little more ...
Hm.
Still no response.
Maybe the last one didn't go through!
Hey there!
I'm sure you're still alive and just laying low, those Brotherhood of Steel guys sure are meddlesome, aren't they? I mean, that is our technology for the taking! RobCo technology belongs to RobCo, you!
Those eyebot blueprints you sent four months ago have been really helpful! If we continue to strengthen the frame, and continue adjusting the personality matrixes, I'll be able to finalize those plans for you!
How has ERIE been? Has her personality matrix continued to advance and learn, and how is she adjusting to that new module?
Yes Man frowned, and thought about what else he could say, without making it short, or suspiciously like he was worried and missed them?
Are there any problems with ERIE's outbound broadcasts? I can draft new plans for a new transmitter you can build remotely, too!
Remember to take that Rad-X, too. Ghoulification is avoidable!
Love,
Yes Man.
He timestamped it, and sent the message on its way. Maybe he should try sending a letter via courier, instead of satellite relay.
...how would he safely get a letter to her though? She was in disguise, and he didn't have anything but a general region she could be in.
Finally! A message!
Hey Yessie,
Sorry for the delays... You know how the Brotherhood can be. We finally got them off our trail again, ERIE managed to lead them into a trap where we could open fire where they couldn't escape.
I think I found a lead, though. Something to do with the local university remains... ERIE picked up an unusual radio signal when we were out scavving, when we tuned in... All we heard was instrumental music, strange.
The radio station has started to prove to be a good thing... People have started to bring me scraps of information in exchange for caps or protection, along with this has come a bounty board. Easy enough to manage and keep up, the townsfolk always need something done, and wandering mercs are more than happy to take it for the right amount.
There's one person I can't get a clear reading on, however. Says her name is Oliva, and says she's from the Commonwealth wasteland area, further northeast from here. I ran into Olivia while trying to find a place to hide from the Brotherhood...
While I was in the ruins of downtown, she managed to sneak up on me while I was preoccupied with my mentats and ERIE-- said it looked like I was alive, but her robots insisted I was anything but. Come to find out, they both needed repairs, and Olivia needed someone with extensive knowledge of technology.
Her and her Miss Nannies boarded me while the Brotherhood continued to search.
Olivia was a fine host, I suppose. She took me to a run-down building in the stands at the local baseball field, but to my surprise, there were terminals and a robot workbenches crammed into every spare inch not occupied with a bed or a table and hotplate…. Both didn't seem to be very used, all things considered. But, I suppose we all have demons keeping us awake at night.
I'm still holed up with Olivia and the Nannies, took forever to get ERIE to distract them all long enough I could type this out and relay it back to you.
The mission is going well, all things considered. They're growing stronger, bolder, more empowered by the day. I'm seeing more and more black leather coats on my expeditions… along with those walking humanoid bots. Lots, and lots of them.
They seem stupid, and are easy enough to trick and pull away from the group. Took a few out and inspected all the parts, but I think the true secret is hiding in their heads… Can't figure much else out from them. Why are they accompanied by folk in leather coats, and why are their lasers always blue? Their shots don't hurt as much as my standard laser pistols, but can bounce farther and hit more targets quickly.
Can you find any information in House's database about blue laser weapons out east? Some sort of prewar laser type that's less efficient, but more widespread? I suppose there's a good use for these, but I fail to see it yet.
The locals are also saying some pretty interesting things. Claim there are robots that look, sound, feel, act, sleep, and even eat, drink…and bleed and fuck, just like any human, hiding in their midst. They can do anything a human can… Everything but complex thought and free will, that is, but I think we both know that may only be a rumor they say to sleep at night. They call them "Synths."
I think this is what you were hearing about.
I'll keep looking, but everything I can find is limited, and everyone seems to be completely terrified of the mere mention of them, and their fabled creator, the Institute.
Traveling with the wind to my back,
-WildCard