City of gold...?

“You've heard of the Sierra Madre Casino. We all have, the legend, the curses. Foolishness about it lying in the middle of the City of the Dead, buried beneath a blood-red cloud. A bright, shining monument luring treasure hunters to their doom... ” — Father Elijah

Jack. Known to many as courier six. With an adventure completed in the great divide, Ulysses convinced not to nuke the wastes…again. Instead, his silver tongue earned him Ulysses’ assistance in escaping that godforsaken temple. Many weapons were to be found there, as well as food and two sets of riot gear. The advanced was currently being worn, while his elite stayed in his pack, for more…unruly times. Jack smiled under his helmet. Stretching his tired muscles, he set off back to the strip.

The divide takes a lot outta you, don’t know how those marked men can survive so long… especially with no skin…Fuck it. Back to the lucky thirty-eight, Mr. House can go fuck himself if he thinks I’m going to do all his tasks in one day. Stop to Gomorrah?... Too tired to even fuck a cheap hooker. I’ll see the doc about that endurance implant.

Jack laughed, hurting his stomach. Clenching the said area, he groaned and walked past the infernal bus from his way in, Noticing a metal crate a few feet in front of him, he opened it. The contents surprised him to say the least. Two dusters, a breathing mask, a holotape labeled ‘Ulysses' Final Message’, and ‘old glory’, a maple staff capped with a golden eagle. The courier placed the tape into his pip-boy’s player, walking with his prizes. The tape played out a long thought message, unmistakably from Ulysses himself:

“Last tape, last message. In case... you best me. If you're hearing this, you have, through blood or word. This message, and all that lies with it - it is for you, Courier. If you want to know the... why of things. This world, I've walked a good part of it... I stopped only because of you. What you did - gave me pause. Long ago, I crossed the Colorado, the first among the Legion to see Hoover Dam in all its glory... an Old World wall, yet bridging two sides. And beyond it, a symbol of a two-headed Bear, an idea great enough to challenge Caesar himself. Might kill him, taking it, whether he won or lost. The Bull needs to fight, needs the challenge, without it... it falters, dies in the dust. Might be a lesson there, in you and me. Leave the thought behind the message to you. My message is this - the destruction has been wrought, at the Divide - or elsewhere, if you couldn't stop me... It can happen again. It will keep happening. If war doesn't change, men must change, and so must their symbols. Even if it is nothing at all, know what you follow, Courier... just as I followed you, to the end. Whatever your symbol... carry it on your back, and wear it proudly when you stand at Hoover Dam. "

Adjusting the red glare and shoulder-mounted machine gun on his back, courier six once again set out to the wastes, walking non-stop to his favorite bed in the entire wasteland.

“Celestia, I’m telling you, it’s not dangerous! The spell only lets us see into the other planets. Not actually teleport there!” Sporting darkish lavender mane and a dark purple mane and tail with a hot pink stripe on one side of her horn, an annoyed and tired mare sat next to her princess, a milky white alicorn with a mane and tail that defied the very laws of physics, moving in it’s own, imaginary wind. Being Twilight’s almost surrogate mother, she knew both the ups and downs of raising her. This situation was obviously the latter.

“I understand you wanting to try this new spell of yours, but it’s Two A.M.! Now please Twilight, for the twentieth and hopefully final time, go to your guest room and sleep!” The alicorn practically yelled, bags under her eyes just waiting to be slept away.

“But I-… We-” the lavender unicorn tried to protest.

“Look Twilight, I understand how you are when you find out a new spell. But in order to do the spell properly, you need to have full concentration, which means SLEEP!” Celestia shouted, obviously growing irritated. The alabaster alicorn sparked her horn to levitate her prized student to her guest room, trotting quickly, hoping to get at the least a few hours of sleep. The unicorn simply groaned, crossing her forelegs. As the ponies reached the destination, Celestia flung Twilight onto the plush mattress. Doing a perfect one-eighty on her hooves, the before said alicorn rushed to her bedroom. It would be a very long day, especially since her little scholar was there with her. I love the dear with all my heart, but I swear on my name she is going to drive me crazy one day of sleep deprivation…

"I'd be happy to give you a patch up Jack! Just know that you prevented another fallout, and if you ever need a place to stay, the followers of the apocalypse will always welcome you with open arms." Jack sat at a table near sandbags that were set up near the entrance of the old Mormon fort located in freeside, usually a guard emplacement. Better safe than sorry.

"Thanks, Julie. How are the supplies from the divide?" Julie Farkas. A member of the followers of the apocalypse, a non-profit organization in which the purpose is peace and knowledge. A rather strange bunch to most of the occupants of the wastes, to others, saints. Even Caesar from the legion was once one of them. Still, they were good in other people's eyes, asking for little to nothing for medical attention. Jack was known for being one of the follower's biggest suppliers. His absence was usually made up for in what he brought back.

"Surprisingly untouched by radiation. By the description you gave me I would've thought they would be giving off some rads. The MRE's aren't exactly brahmin steak, but it's good to have food that doesn't rot nonetheless. By the way you have three fractured ribs, all on your left side." Jack sighed. I knew it was damned my ribs that were broken...

"Well shit. Not the first thing a person wants to hear, but whatever. Was planning to get a few days rest, my monocycle breeder should prove to be a speedy recovery, right?

"That and a doctor's bag and you should be 'right as rain' as they used to say. I'd give it three days. Got a tent if you want to use it for the next couple of days..." she said, getting up from her seat.

"Thanks for offering doc. But I'm on my way back to the lucky thirty-eight. The divide really pounds you, and I think i'm getting foot rot. So, goodbye for now." Jack stood up, and Julie gave him an empty look, saying nothing. Jack took his leave and took his weapons that were waiting patiently for him on the table closest to him. Waving a final goodbye to Julie, The courier was off once again, fighting the urge to sleep then and there, as it had been two days without sleep. The shit I gotta do to get a good night's sleep...