Who am I? Name’s Martin. I’m a courier. Hero of New Vegas, explorer of the Sierra Madre, guardian of Big MT, legend of the Divide, breaker of casinos? Ring a bell? No? Oh well. All you need to know for now is that I was born in California, traveled East, worked for the Mojave Express postal service, got shot in the head, and ended up saving the New California Republic’s war effort at Hoover Dam. (Wait, did I remember to mention that the world is a radioactive wasteland?)

But what I did before doesn’t matter. Exposition is for a later time.

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The Second Battle of Hoover Dam has been two-and-a-half years ago. The NCR government had awarded me the Golden Branch- the highest, most honorable award I could be given. Even not counting my greater escapades, I was a legend. In the aftermath of the battle, I finally decided I could stop my endless ramblings, settle down, abandon my life as an adventurer, gambler, soldier. But I realised that I couldn’t get rid my desire for exploration, completely inborn in my very nature. So, leaving my friends, family, and allies behind, I set out Northast. I didn’t know where I was going- what I was planning to do. As it turned out, I pretty much did the same thing I had been doing all my life. I kept on meeting people, helping them out with their problems, exploring ruins, fighting both man and beast, and getting a lot of money in the process. It was in Northern Kansas, mostly in transit to locales farther East, that my life, and the status of the entire human species, changed forever.

It was a vibrant orange sunset as I walked down the pockmarked highway. The surrounding area was practically abandoned other than the occasional trader or critter. Two followed me, my two most loyal companions. ED-E was a little floating spherical robot, about the size of a beach ball. Ever since I repaired him, he had been there with me through thick and thin. Rex the cyberdog stayed close, always having my back. I searched a few abandoned vehicles, did a little searching for my “get a functioning vehicle” project. It was quite peaceful considering what wasteland life typically is.

I found an abandoned truck stop to stay for the night. Often outposts like these are dangerous havens for raiders and mutants, but this one was completely empty, safe for a few skeletons and centuries' worth of trash and debris. I laid down some bedding, set up a fire, and sat down for the night. It was at times like these that I was able to read my books, a surprisingly useful passion in my line of work. But today, I chose to tinker. My other great specialty was technology, building and repairing it. These skills kept my guns in condition and let me repair almost anything with the right resources.

The subject of my interest was a teleporter. No, my other teleporter. I found it in some strange old research headquarters, was some kind of advanced prototype. I could only glean the vaguest of ideas of its internal workings from disassembling it, though some of the digital records helped to reveal some of the theoretical physics behind it. I was trying to work on it to discover its purpose, finding a way to turn it into something I could use. I must have done something good to it, because when I rewired one section of the thing, it activated, taking away all three of us.

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Teleportation was a familiar experience, though I had only encountered it via technology, not magic. At first it caused me violent nausea, but repeated uses of the Transportalponder! had let me adjust. The terrifying suspicion that my mind had blocked out the memories of the hidden horrors of teleportation remained, though. To be honest I wasn’t that upset by the ordeal. Enough bizarreness happens during my travels that I’m rather numb to the emotion of shock.

I immediately found myself observing an incredible sight. I was standing on a fenced dirt road, surrounding by idyllic countryside. The plants were a lush green, in full bloom, and little unmutated animals scurried around, living out their little animal-lives. The sky was almost clear of clouds, almost like a painting backdrop. Mind you, I’ve seen quite my share of beautiful skies. Gorgeous mountains lined the horizon. All my senses- sight, sound, smell, touch, taste- all of them were bombarded by sheer natural beauty. I had only seen such a place in the Zion National Park, with its scenic canyons and greenery. The lovely, snow-capped forests around Mt. Charleston also came to mind. Even my two friends seemed awed, in their own unintelligible way.

This was my first clue that I was farther from home than one would expect. Seeing unblemished nature all the way to the horizon, just couldn’t be found on Earth… That is, human Earth, I mean. The likelihood of being in a completely different universe was the first thing to come to mind, and I doubt that a more level-headed type would go so far.

You see, I’m not what most people would call “normal.” Eccentric, immature, childish, insane, idiotic, all words that might reflect me. I may be of great intelligence, but I don’t exactly have a stable personality. Still, I’m not a madman, and I still have a strong grasp on reality, so I wouldn’t call it a flaw. Just the occasional bit of odd behavior now and then, and a few irrational hatreds. I've seen worse in others.

First priority when I got a hold on myself was to assess the situation. I was on a road, obviously. As I said before, there was a white wooden fence lining it, and the pathway itself seemed measured and well-planned. I also looked farther out and saw a majestic white castle and surrounding cityscape perched on a mountain. All this lead to the clear conclusion - civilization. Granted, one I knew nothing about, and might not even be human, but I had that established. The reasonable course of action would be to seek out whatever society existed, and hopefully get some information. This was assuming the locals wouldn’t try to murder me horribly, and were able to communicate with me. Fingers crossed. At that time, I failed to realize how odd it was that the animals I had seen – squirrels, bunnies, even a weasel, had all existed on Earth. I remembered my transportalponder. My ticket back to my home lay in my pocket, but hey, why not explore this brave new world first? See its sights? Make friends? Have an adventure?

And so I was, on a road with unexplored land laying in all directions. Major landmarks tend to be along roads, so I decided to just follow the path. Now the dilemma was which way to go. After a minute of terse thought, I decided that heading in the general direction of the castle. I walked off, scoped rifle in hand, my spirits high, into the unknown.

Author's Note

This is the third story I have ever written, and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to criticize, and help me to improve my skills.