A low, persistent hum of a computer buzzed in the background as a man was engrossed in keeping his hunger satiated. He stood over a stove and stirred a pot of water lazily, waiting for it to boil. His attention was on the pot as he absentmindedly listened to the computer play songs from his favorite games—the Fallout series, some Metro tunes, and a few tracks from other apocalypse-based titles. He was caught up in thoughts most men have when left alone with nothing to do but think.
'How long would I survive in any of these worlds?' He wondered, still stirring the water. 'I mean I'd probably die in Fallout, not much of a chance with all those mutants, raiders, and tyrants despite how many people try to help. I'd have a better shot in Metro if I'm in one of the main metro stations and keep my head down…but if I'm on the outskirts, I'm fucked. I mean, just the beasts alone are deadly enough even with proper weapons and ammo, not to mention the anomalies. I won't even mention the Dark Ones, they're like Eldritch beings trying to be nice while melting others' brains without knowing.' He continued, his thoughts spiraling down a rabbit hole of what if's before being brought back by the water starting to boil.
He grabbed the pack of ramen he kept to the side and opened them, dropping the noodles into the water, forgetting to grab the flavor pack in the process. "Shit! Gah, fuck!" He shouted, grabbing and flinging the flavor pack out of the water and across his apartment. It smacked against his pc, dropping water onto it. He ran over, panicked by the thought of it being damaged. Kneeling in front of it he saw the water fall into some of the internal components, causing a spark and cutting off the music.
"GOD FUCKING-" He began shouting before a second spark came out, then a third, before a worryingly large amount of them came out. He backed away, seeing them continue until it stopped. Thinking it was over he moved back to unplug the pc so it wouldn't do that again.
*spark BOOOOOOOM!*
His vision went black as the PC went from inactive to a white hot glow and exploding in his face. His last thoughts, 'Well, at least I don't need to clear my browser history.' He thought as he floated through nothingness, wondering why he was still conscious. 'Is this Limbo or something? Because I know this isn't Heaven, it would be Hell if there was more fire and brimstone. It's probably not Limbo, it would be more like an infinite desert or forest…so where am I?' He thought, trying to look around and seeing literal nothingness in all directions.
As he looked, he felt a pull on his body, like a massive suction force taking him somewhere. Just as it started, he felt it stop abruptly. Then a voice rang out.
"Notice, reincarnation cancelled." As he heard this his nonexistent face went pale.
"What…" before he could begin to panic even more it came back again.
"Chaos Gacha has chosen reincarnator as its host, previous patron erased for reincarnator's convenience." It said, allowing his somehow still intact emotions to ease. "World draw initiated." It spoke as he saw a screen open in front of where his eyes felt to be. It showed a wheel with what looked like thousands of world names—some he knew well, others he'd never even heard of. He noticed one world start to grey out.
"All Tomorrows universe removed due to previous ROB intentions for reincarnator." The voice said, causing the man to feel a weight in his chest be removed before it could ever be placed there. Once it was gone the wheel began to spin, passing by so quickly they all began to blur together. He tried to follow but he just couldn't, until it suddenly came to a stop at a world he was thinking about just before all this happened. "Fallout Universe (New Vegas) selected. Good luck user, you will need it." It spoke before I felt a different pulling force on my body again.
As he was being pulled he had a feeling of forgetting something, 'Wait…what was my name again?' Before he fell unconscious to the sight of an overhead view of the cemetery of Goodsprings, New Vegas lights reaching from the distance to even this remote location, and a group of people carting a person up to the top. The center of his view was focused on that person, the Courier.
- - -
My consciousness feels like it was a bat that broke against a ball before suddenly being reformed around the ball itself and wanting really hard not to be there. Info about who I am, Issac, Courier Six. A family, a girl, a job, unfortunate circumstances, more and more risky jobs to keep myself from thinking about everything…then that package came. That fucking package…it took everything I had left of them. But I kept walking and delivering to keep doing what I was already doing before it was obliterated just to try and get away from it all. Then, Ulysses, the man that basically said 'I don't feel like it.' and dropped that fucking chip into my lap and made me deliver it knowing I'd be grabbed by someone before I ever saw the lights of New Vegas.
He says he doesn't blame me for The Divide and yet manipulates things in my story so I have to come back, so he can PROVE A FUCKING POINT! He says he doesn't blame me yet he isn't stupid enough to not look into the thing after the last package I delivered went up in mushroom clouds. No, no he knew and still gave it to me. He couldn't know exactly who would grab me, he just knew someone would. Hell, he's probably the reason why Benny knows, probably through Yes Man.
He goes through every place that will let him, and even ones that don't. He's insane enough to drop hints to people that just can't help themselves, leave notes in NCR codes that get noticed by the right people, letters to spies that just need to know everything. Leaving just enough to keep people's eyes peeled yet not enough to divert resources to look for the damn thing, all but Benny. The man is too high on his own ego to see he's being manipulated and backstabs anyone that stops being useful without knowing he's already drunk enough of one half of a poison that'll kill him when the other half is introduced. House, the Legion, the NCR…Me.
My thoughts on my new past ended as the cart I was in stopped abruptly. The sounds of people shuffling around as another dug, a man came around the cart to presumably grab me for my execution and shallow burial, Jessup if memory serves me. Two sets of hands grab me however, making my mind blank. 'Wasn't there only three?' I wonder to myself. I focus on my hearing, picking up a few more people, three, five, six. 'Heh, fitting I guess, six people for the Courier Six.' I thought, weighing my chances. I knew the Great Khans just did this job to help their tribe, I didn't blame them, everyone needs to survive out here. But Benny, I'm going to kill that fucker here, tonight, by my own hands. I just have to use the Khans to my advantage.
As I'm brought to my intended grave I'm dropped to my knees. I hear people talking, I don't really listen, I already know after all, I just have to find the right time to interject. The flip of a lighter opening and lighting a cigarette or cigar then being closed told me it's all about to start. The digging of the grave comes to an end after a few minutes and the sound of Benny's cigarette being tossed to the ground is the indicator I need.
"You got what you were after, so pay up!" I hear one say rather forcefully, I know that's Jessup.
"You're crying in the rain pally." Another voice says dismissively, Benny, the bastard. I reflexively jerk, pulling on my restraints.
"Heh, guess who's waking up over here." Someone else spoke derisively, Chance, I think. I look up after realizing that the binds are too strong to break in a short amount of time. I see three people in front of me, one I can't remember the name of, the youngest of the bunch and most distinctive due to his dyed yellow facial hair and Mohawk. To the far left, Jessup, a dark skinned man with an admittedly impressive handlebars mustache. And finally, Benny, in his stupid checkered suit.
"Time to cash out." He says, almost sounding bored. He steps forward, ready to give his speech on luck and shit.
"Would you get it over with?" Jessup says more than asks, looking completely done with this whole situation. My eyes move to the kid, looking like a particularly slow kid seeing something new and interesting for the first time, and he probably is considering how young he is. Benny holds up a finger partially turning his head to talk to Jessup yet not taking his eyes off mine.
"Maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the face, but I ain't a fink, dig?" He states more than asks. He shakes his head like a parent who's disappointed in their child's continued lapse in decisions before reaching into his suit and pulling out the Platinum Chip and speaking again. "You've made your last delivery kid." Sounding almost sad, almost. I can see the mix of delight and anxiousness in his eyes and movements as he holds the chip before trying not to look rushed when he puts it back and pulls out his gun. Maria it's called, I want it.
"Sorry you got twisted up in this scene, from where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18 karat run of bad luck." He says, and I hold back a scoff, forcing myself to sound just as remorseful as him as I make my move.
"*Cough cough*...No Benny, I'm sorry, and may God have mercy on your soul." I say, causing him to pause and look at me in confusion.
"What's the what you're talkin about kid?" He asks, confusion painting itself across the faces of Jessup and Chance as well. I give my best confused look back at him, looking like I just got told the sun's a big flashlight in the sky by a talking cowboy gecko.
"Wait…do you not know what's on that chip?" Causing him to look both intrigued and nervous while the Khans looked around at each other on edge from my words. I gave him a look like I just realized something. "You heard House needed this, didn't you?" I asked and everyone but Benny froze, obviously only finding this out now. I continued before anyone could say anything. "At least tell me you know everyone that's after that thing?" I ask, receiving a look from him that screams, 'I've had enough of this.'
"Nice try kid, but I've seen better acting in broken Mister Handys." He says, going to raise the gun before being stopped by Jessup.
"Hang on boss, let the kid speak, could have something important even if its near full of lies." He said, standing a bit in front of Benny, blocking his shot on me. He turns and looks at me, giving me what he probably thought was an intimidating look that only came off desperate. He definitely had a feeling this job was going to go south one way or another, but now he had a chance at proof.
"Woah woah, hang on pal, are you really buying what this kid's selling?" Benny asked, trying to move to get a shot again, but I started talking before anything could happen.
"It IS everyone, the Legion, NCR, every basic securitron in the Mojave that's been brought near New Vegas, everyone. And the reason?" I say, pause on my question to get Benny to stop trying to shoot me and listen just a little long after I'm done telling him this. It worked as I could see Benny stop and look, waiting for me to finish. "It unlocks the securitrons full arsenal, grenade launchers, rockets, high caliber ammunition, and a second more advanced fleet of securitrons built for actual combat. Do you want to know where that's at?" I state and continue right on over the Khans horrified looks and Benny's growing excitement.
"Right in the middle of the Legion's main encampment, and Caesar already knows it's there, he just needs the key." I finished, looking right where he put the Platinum Chip. Everyone looked at Benny, the Khans looked like they were going to murder him and Benny looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. And me, I was doing what I've been doing since I first started moving, loosening my bindings.
"You- You fucking reckless piece of shit!" Jessup roared, shoving Benny back. Causing his gun to fall to the ground, forgotten by all but Benny and me. The yellow-haired kid gripped the shovel he used to dig my grave tighter while flanking Benny's side, the other three Khans doing the same around the other sides. I started really working on the restraints around my hands and shuffling towards the gun.
"Hey hey, keep it smooth would ya? It's not like I knew either, why you blamin little old me?" He said, trying to get the Khans to calm down and listen. I wouldn't let that happen.
"Maybe not, but I know you would get rid of them either way considering you backstabbed your own tribe, the Boot Riders if I remember correctly." I began, sowing the seeds of hate in the Khans, it did too, causing Benny's face to start paling and the Khans to get more hateful, and their anger felt more justified. "The story went something like, the leader goes to a meeting with an outside tribe, a deal goes wrong, and you're the only one to leave alive—unharmed." I continued, forcing both parties attention fully on each other and leaving me to fully pull off the restraints. I tune out the rest of the discourse in favor of being the first one to strike until finally.
*Snap!*
The restraints broke, one of the Khans heard it apparently along with Benny himself. Too late though. I lunged for Maria and grabbed it from where it fell, raising it from my prone position to the closest Khan that noticed I fired, one shot to the skull. 13, now 12 shots left. I moved to the ones with guns, the two of them tried to turn and shoot but they dropped yet not dead however—9 shots left. The next few shots to Jessup and Chance drop them—5 shots left. I got up to a kneeling position despite my limbs screaming at me to not move anymore and shot the remaining Khans with two shots each—1 shot left. As I stood there panting I could feel the adrenaline start to fade as I looked over to Benny, curled up on the ground and crying for the hope of us killing each other.
He glanced up only to receive my wrath-filled gaze aiming down his gun's sights at his forehead. "You know, if you just came and took the damn thing, I'd have given it to you and left," I said, seeing a glimmer of something in his eyes, though I didn't care enough to keep looking for what it was. I honestly felt like just shooting him in the balls after letting him really get some hope of getting out of this but-
*Bang!*
I just shot him in the head, directly where I would have been shot. "Truth is, the game was rigged from the start," I said, because I knew how the Khans were, I knew what the Khans went through on their way here just to realize they were being set up to take the fall for it all. I kneel there, panting, only to realize what I said and cringe. "God, did I really just say that to his corpse?"
Ding, Feat achieved! Subvert your fate by killing Benny before he can kill you!
1x Diamond Trait ticket acquired
The screen popped up and displayed my new feat, thinking that was it I was going to look through all their stuff, leaning heavily on my new memories to get me through it without throwing up.
Ding, Feat achieved! Kill a group of Khans alone with nothing but a pistol and adrenalin!
1x Platinum Skill ticket acquired
The screen popped up to display a second feat, surprising me. Some would ask why I would be surprised by that, and to that I would say, 'Because everything I did was considered one set of actions—so why did I get two?'
Ding, Feat achieved! Kill your first person!
1x Gold Random ticket acquired
Now that one is more closely aligned with what I was expecting to get. It was the first thing I did and a first for me…well, Prime Earth me not Fallout me…will I always be changing bodies when I go to different worlds? Also, why am I not freaking out as much as I should- oh, nevermind, it's because my experiences as the Cour- Isaac, my experiences as Isaac, are keeping me intact. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to that now. At least I don't feel the urge to keep thinking about it, so that's good.
coming out with four 9mm SMGs, two pistols, plenty of ammo, and five magazines for each type. There were melee weapons of a few different kinds, but I really wanted that combat knife that Chance had. A beast of a melee weapon and one of the only combat knives that was worth me picking up…I always went gunslinger. Fuck off. And now I'm talking to myself. Fantastic. For now I'll just use one of the better machetes I found on one of the Khans. I didn't forget about Maria, I just didn't say anything since I'm never getting rid of it. Now though, I'll finally start using my tickets.
Rolling Random Gold ticket
Ding!
[Create Water]
|Uncommon Ability|
Konosuba - Allows you to create large volumes of fresh water from your hands but does not allow you to control it, the stream of water is strong enough to seriously hurt someone.
Nice! If there's one thing you can't live without in the wasteland aside from bullets and guns is water. Now for the Platinum ticket.
Rolling Platinum Ability ticket
Ding!
[Ace of All Trades]
|Epic Ability|
While this ability is in an active slot your comprehension is massively boosted, you only need to read a book once to learn it completely, and you could imitate someone's martial art by watching a video. You could learn someone's martial art while you are exchanging blows. You learn and master skills at supernatural rates.
"Holy fuck, that's so fucking busted!" I yelled, actually yelled, the first words I've spoken since the gunfight ended. That was about half an hour ago now, I should hurry up and finish before Victor comes rolling by too conveniently dig me out of my grave. Too bad it'll only find Benny and the Khans here. "Alright, let's keep going before I get more distracted," I say as I slap my cheeks to help focus.
Rolling Diamond Trait ticket
Ding!
[High Specs]
|Legendary Trait|
You are incredibly intelligent, you learn, process, and utilize knowledge far far faster than anyone of your caliber should be able to. You can outpace most computers.
"...Holy fuck…" I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper.
[Chapter 1 end]
A/N: Hey guys, I don't really know what to put here since it's my first time writing a story and publishing it without it being because of boredom to see if anyone would care enough to read it, hell I don't even know if anyone is going to get far enough to read this, let alone read the chapter to begin with. So, if you made it this far and like what you read, please tell me. I'd also like to know your thoughts, suggestions, and things I can do to improve this story. I accidentally bought a one year subscription to an AI writing helper so I will be writing for a while and would really appreciate any support you can give. I don't have a p@trion or a Ko-fi account that you can donate to since I don't know if anyone would care, but if you do then I can certainly try and make one if you are interested.
Anyways, sorry for making this rant so long, I'll stop talking now and let you get on with your day/night. Thank you for reading this far, and have an incredible rest of your day/night.