Control

"So are you going to be spending a lot of time at the Ultra-Luxe now?" Veronica teased.

I gave her a look before I grinned. "Maybe. But there was also a woman who seemed accepting of my flirting. Might visit her instead."

"Holy shit, another woman!?" Cass exclaimed.

"She was very sweet and there was a mutual attraction."

"You know, for someone who can be utterly brutal at times, you can be remarkably sweet yourself. Actually, what did go on at the Luxe?"

"Long story. Killed the man responsible for all the shit that was going on though. Found Ted alive too. Only thing missing was the fact I didn't get paid, considering I basically turned private investigator. Oh well…"

"Do you need the caps?"

"Not really, but considering the effort I put in, it would have been nice to receive something. Gratitude is nice and all, but doesn't pay the bills."

We discussed what Veronica had learned the previous day. Swank had admitted that the Chairmen wouldn't be sorry to see House go, and would hope an independent Vegas would manage to unite and run itself. He admitted that was unlikely, so a government would have to be formed quickly. What surprised us was the fact he suggested including Freeside, perhaps widening the borders of the Strip, while protection for towards further south should be provided, considering everywhere was part of the Mojave.

Gomorrah didn't care who ran Vegas as long as whoever was in charge didn't stop them providing the services that kept the caps flowing. Prostitution. Gambling. Drugs. Think of a vice and it was provided at Gomorrah. But then Veronica lowered her voice, as if anyone could hear us in the suite. "I don't trust them," she whispered, "Know how you felt something was off at the Luxe?" I nodded. I'm sure I'd feel that for a little while whenever I wandered in. "That's how I felt there. Nothing to do with what was on offer, we were warned before walking in. No, it was that air that you just know something isn't right. I just can't figure out what it is."

"I'll keep them in mind. And we already know the Luxe is probably on our side now. If I were to tell Marjorie any plan, she'd probably support me on a personal level."

"What are you thinking?" Cass asked.

"Honestly? Right now, I'm thinking we eliminate House somehow. I don't like the idea of being used. Because of this fucking chip, I took two bullets in the head and don't remember who I am. House is responsible for that. Add to that, I'm just left with feeling he's a somewhat tyrant now, but can't exert full control, but this chip will just allow him full control and nothing will stop him."

"Okay, you take out House. What next?" Veronica wondered.

"I'm thinking a two-pronged approach. I like the idea of an independent Vegas, but is it strong enough to hold back both the Legion and NCR? No, Vegas will just become a battleground. So if we go that route, I somehow keep the NCR sweet while working to assemble the influence necessary. Am I talking shit here or does it make sense?"

"Makes sense to me," Cass replied.

"What about the Brotherhood of Steel?" Veronica asked.

"What about them?" I retorted kindly. I hadn't given them a thought, to be honest. Compared to some of the other factions, the Brotherhood barely seemed worth thinking about.

When she started to fidget, I wondered what was on her mind. She couldn't meet my eyes for a few seconds. "I know where they are," she admitted.

"Okay. I assumed as much."

"They're in a bunker called Hidden Valley. They've lost all their influence that they once had around the Mojave. When the NCR defeated them at Helios, they retreated to the bunker and rarely leave nowadays." She sighed and met my eyes. "I am a scribe of the Brotherhood."

Cass laughed. I just smiled. "Veronica, I figured that out long ago."

"You did? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I assumed it was a topic you didn't really want to discuss, and that you'd tell me in your own time."

She looked at Cass. "Did you know too?"

"Sweetie, I had you pegged about thirty seconds after introducing yourself. You're just too damned cute to disappoint."

"Oh… and here I thought…" She sighed. "Anyway, I was just thinking that we should perhaps go see them when you decide what to do."

"You can gain us entry?" She nodded. "Would you like to go see them?"

"I do, because there's a chance it might be the last time I'll visit them. I don't agree with what they're doing, how they're isolating themselves. It's why I was so happy you turned up when you did."

"Right, so this is what we do. I'll tie up with Yes Man what I need to do regarding House. We then sort him out, however it needs to be done. Once he's out of the picture, we start putting together a plan regarding everyone else. Veronica, you'll be our way in regarding the Brotherhood. How do you think they'd react?"

"Well, they would detest everything the Legion stands for. They're not particularly fond of the NCR. They would support an independent Vegas, but if you can do that but keep the NCR sweet, the Brotherhood might be convinced to join some sort of triumvirate of powers."

I nodded and released a sigh, running fingers through my hair. "How the fuck have I ended up as potential kingmaker of the Mojave?" I wondered.

"Fate," Cass replied, taking my other hand, giving it a squeeze, "And the Mojave needs someone who needs to make the tough decisions. You've proven already that you're capable of that."

I leaned over and kissed her. "Thanks."

Heading down to Benny's room, I was left with a feeling Swank had figured out what was going on, as the door was left unlocked, though I'd kept the keys to the room, and while it had been cleaned, the blood wiped and washed away, it was obvious that the room was not being used for other guests. Walking into the secret passageway, Yes Man hadn't moved from where he was.

His over-friendliness was off-putting at the second time of meeting him, and the fact he just agreed with everything probably wouldn't be a benefit in the long run. Explaining that I was willing to take down House, but still deciding on the step afterwards, he just agreed that it was a solid plan, and that once he was dead, I should return to him so we could make the next move, which was putting him onto the mainframe.

"How easy it to kill a Securitron?" I wondered.

"Shoot out the tyre, they can't roll around. After that, a few well-placed bullets or a good shotgun blast will eliminate the opposition."

"Bet there are plenty of your kind in the Lucky 38," I muttered, "Right, pointless just standing around talking about it. Time to put this plan in motion and see what happens."

"Good luck!"

I wasn't going in without backup as I knew I wouldn't just stroll inside and be able to do what I wanted. I hadn't heard from House, but I knew he was likely observing, most likely through every other Securitron, probably wondering why I hadn't delivered the chip yet. Soon as I walked into the suite, Cass and Veronica disappeared, returning with weapons in hand. I couldn't help grin.

"This shit could go sideways. We have no idea what's inside."

"Don't care. We both trust you," Cass said.

Walking out all tooled up, Swank definitely knew something was up. He probably didn't realise exactly what I was planning on doing, but he called out good luck as we walked through the doors. The Lucky 38 was lit up as always, even during the day, but I'd heard enough people say that no-one had ever gone in or out. Everyone believed House resided somewhere inside, but for all intents and purposes, the casino itself was closed, considered basically abandoned.

Approaching the casino itself, I noticed a lone Securitron on guard outside. Whether it saw me or not, I couldn't be sure, but I recognised the display on the screen. It was Victor. And I hadn't been blind. I'd been aware of his its presence along the way from Goodsprings. I had wondered why it had been following me, and now I had my answer. But that just led to the question of how long all this had been planned? I was still just the unfortunate soul who carried the chip, but how long had House been putting this plan into motion?

Before I could approach the doors, I was stopped by a rather cute young brunette woman in dark rimmed glasses. "Are you the Courier?" she asked, looking me up and down, "Definitely dressed like him from what Beatrix told me."

"And you are?" I wondered, trying not to sound too suspicious.

"Emily. I'm with the Followers of the Apocalypse. And I… I mean we were wondering if you've been inside the Lucky 38 yet?"

"How much do you know, Emily?"

She looked a little nervous before answering. "I… may have helped Benny set up that Securitron that helped him."

Gently taking her wrist, I smiled at her and whispered it was fine, but I wanted to discuss anything else in privacy. Cass wrapped her arm through hers, reassuring her we certainly wouldn't bring about any harm. That helped her relax. Swank was surprised to see us so soon, noticing our new friend, gesturing with his head towards the cafeteria.

Bottles of sarsaparilla in hand, Emily relaxed a little more once we sat around a table, removing my hat to show the remains of my scar. She couldn't help but look at it. It was then a simple question and answer session. She had no reason to lie to me, so I asked her about Benny first, what she knew about his intentions, and how the hell she'd managed to get the Securitron working for him, and now for me. I couldn't help express my admiration for her, which earned a smile and a blush.

Then she told me in detail what she and the Followers wanted. It sounded easy enough but that's when I had to admit the plan I had. "You want to kill him?" she asked, unable hide her surprise at the idea.

"Yes." I took the chip from my pocket, placing it on the table. "This chip holds incredible power. It's the reason I was shot by Benny. I've learned enough by now to know, if I was to just give this to House, something will happen that will change the balance of power. House is the first piece to fall. Then it's about the NCR and Legion, and whether Vegas should remain independent."

"You're… serious?" she whispered, but I was left thinking she was rather impressed.

"I know what I hold in my hand here. House will corrupt such power. The Legion? Well, give this to them and you open the gates of hell. I can just imagine what they'll do to the Strip. But is the NCR any better? They're not barbaric but they'll change the Strip completely. It'll just become another province."

"Before you… do it, can you get the data we want? We're not sure what technology he has, but surely it must be superior to anything we have? Even after you kill him, the machinery will keep running. Hopefully…"

"You seriously don't mind?" Cass asked, "I mean the fact we're going in there with the intention of killing him."

"There's a reason we work in Freeside out of the old fort. If House deems you desirable, you can come here. If not, then you suffer in Freeside. I've seen the Securitrons on patrol, how they deal with people. Just trying to get in here is intimidating enough. No, House in charge will just make the oppression worse. I believe I can speak for the Followers when I suggest we would not be disappointed to hear the news of his timely demise."

"Consider it done," I said.

She smiled. "Just like that?"

"Sure."

"I mean, don't you want some sort of payment?" Cass and Veronica both started to laugh, which made her smile. "What?"

"They know what I'm like, Emily. So, payment… How about a drink at the fort once I'm done?"

The smile on her face was joined by a blush. "Oh… really?"

"Yep. I'll do what I need to do, get the information you need, then I'll pop by the fort for a drink."

"Bring vodka." I raised my eyebrows. "We're not supposed to drink alcohol so don't keep any around."

"Oh, forget that. Come with me."

Taking her by the hand, asking Cass and Veronica to wait outside, I escorted Emily up to the suite. Her mouth dropped at the sheer size of the place. "You're living here?"

"For the time being."

"Wow…"

"Anyway, there's a fully stocked bar over there. Plenty of food around too. Radio picks up a few channels. Make yourself at home. I'm not sure how long we'll be."

"Wait, before you go…" She rifled through her backpack, handing me a little piece of kit. "You'll just need to place that nearest to the mainframe. Flick the little switch and it'll do all the work itself. The data will flow to where it's needed, so don't worry. I'm just wondering how much data we'll get. We simply don't know what is at his disposal."

"I'll figure it out, don't worry about it."

"Good luck."

"Hopefully I'll be back with good news and everything works out."

Veronica proved her technological knowhow, looking at the piece of technology I'd been given, assuring me that she could get it to work without a problem once we were in control. Returning towards the entrance, Victor was still in place as I walked towards him. It was as friendly as I remembered, but I was now aware it was all programming, completely fake. Still, it had dug me out of the hole and kept me alive, so I would always thank it for that.

Surprisingly, he just let me mosey on inside, Cass and Veronica by my side. It looked like the place had been deserted for two hundred years. Surprisingly, it seemed clean, as if the entire place had been dusted and cleaned up only a couple of hours before. But the fact it looked like a brand spanking new casino, everything appearing to be brand spanking new, but it was completely and utterly lifeless.

"This is fucking creepy," Cass muttered.

"Yeah, there is not a pleasant vibe here," Veronica added.

"Stay calm. Stay loose. And keep your weapons free," I murmured, pushing the button for the elevator. Stepping inside, the door closing, music started to play, the light flickered from time to time, and the ascent seemed to take an age. But the doors opened with a 'ding', and we stepped out into a suite, stepping towards the window which provided a panoramic view of the Strip and the Mojave.

"Wow, can see all the way across the Mojave," Cass exclaimed.

Wandering around, we eventually ended up stood before a giant screen upon which the picture of House appeared. It did leave me wondering where the man actually was, but that didn't really matter. What amused me was the small talk he offered me first, almost as if he knew he'd have to appeal to my ego. I would have told him he needn't have bothered as my mind was already made up, but I went along with it for the time being.

"Got to admit, I'm struggling to understand what's going on here. Figured you would have just told me to hand over the chip and piss off. Trying to appeal to my ego or something? End of the day, I'm just a courier, completing my job."

"Oh, don't be coy. You've been playing a high-stakes game ever since Victor dug you out of the ground. Don't be afraid to admit it."

While we'd been talking, Cass wandered around, definitely taking the attention of other Securitrons. Veronica very smoothly managed to get the piece of technology into position though whether it would work or not, no idea. But it barely took her thirty seconds to have it in place, meeting my eyes, no nod or shake of the head, her eyes told me everything.

"Who are you? I mean really."

"I am Robert Edwin House, President, CEO, and sole proprietor of the New Vegas Strip. I oversaw the city's renovations starting from 2274 onward. The Three Families are my employees. Before the Great War of 2077, I was the founder, President and CEO of RobCo Industries, a vast computer and robotics corporation."

"Thank you. At least I know who I'm going to kill now."

Cass just about managed to muffle her laughter. "I assume you that was a jest?" House asked testily, "Need I remind you that there are enough Securitrons here…"

I took my revolver from its holster. One shot at the tyre of the nearest robot to the left had it collapse to the ground. The one to my right joined it within the next couple of seconds. Cass took the shotgun from my back and put a blast into each machine, point blank range. Sharing a glance with the other two, we split up and took cover as a trio of Securitrons came rolling in. A shot into each tyre had them collapse to the ground, Veronica and Cass lighting them up otherwise.

Moving out, we swept the floor, finding two other Securitrons and using the same tactics. For all the fear they put into others, they were remarkably easy to disable and take down. If House did have an army of these things ready to try and hold back the NCR and Legion, he didn't stand a chance. To have such a weak spot… I almost started laughing.

Walking back to the screen, House still appeared. I'm not sure if he had a way of seeing us, but I had no doubt he knew we'd just wiped out his defensive force. "You fool. You absolute fool. You have no idea what you are meddling in. Who you are meddling with. I spent two centuries searching for the Platinum Chip. It's my invention, my property. Mine. Now be a good courier and deliver it!"

"Fuck off." I was prepared to shoot the screen, but I remembered Yes Man and his idea about moving him onto the mainframe. "It's a good thing I have no desire to power, but there is a word that comes to mind when I think about people like you. Megalomaniac. Another word. Tyrant. To be honest, I've not had the pleasure of meeting Caesar, but it wouldn't surprise me if you were two peas from the same pod."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know enough. And what I'm sure of now is that you are somewhere in this building. Somehow, I don't know how, you're still breathing. Enjoy your last few minutes alive. The one thing I can promise is that I will make your end quick."

Now that I'd pissed him off, he was full of bluster as Veronica gestured for me to follow. A terminal lay nearby, and she got to work, opening the door for the antechamber. Waiting for it to open, gunfire erupted immediately from inside. That's when Veronica pulled something out of her rucksack and grinned at me, crouching down and rolling it inside. She gestured three, two, one… then there was some sort of strange explosion, peeking around the corner to see the pair of Securitrons had collapsed.

"The fuck was that thing?" I wondered.

"Pulse grenade. Things like robots hate them. Thankfully, it won't affect the electrics of the building itself. Come on, let's see what lies ahead."

Her enthusiasm was infectious, no doubt enjoying herself. There was another terminal nearby and what seemed to be an elevator. However, since this had been hidden behind a false wall, it would suggest it was important. "I have no doubt House is at the bottom of this elevator shaft."

Veronica easily hacked the terminal, the doors creaking open, a definite signal that the elevator probably hadn't been used in a long time. The carriage rattled as we descended into what must have been the bowels of the tower, the doors opening to reveal a relatively dark control room. There was only a walkway ahead, another terminal, and behind that was some sort of… sleeping pod. It was nothing any of us recognised, but there was no doubt in my mind it was where House was resting.

Walking towards the pod, there was a window where we could see him. To call what we saw horrifying wouldn't be an understatement. What remained of him couldn't be considered human. How he was even still alive beggared belief. "We're still doing this," I stated, just in case they were having second thoughts. "If you don't want to be here for this."

"No, we've come this far together. We finish it that way," Cass said.

Veronica agreed, stepping back towards the terminal. It barely took a few command codes before a siren started to sound and the sleeping pod started to open. The lid popped up, there was a hiss of air, the bed on which House was lying on lifted up to a vertical position. I couldn't help step towards the almost skeletal form. Considering he was two hundred plus years old, I was amazed he wasn't just bones and dust.

"Looks like a fucking ghoul," Cass said.

"He's a perversion of science," Veronica added, "This is the sort of shit the Brotherhood talk about. Technology out of control."

"Why have you done this?" House croaked, "Centuries of preparation, so much good, undone…"

"You're the reason why I don't have a memory of who I am, where I'm from. But I can put two and two together. You. Benny. Victor. The chip. New Vegas and control. It all links together, and I was just the unlucky bastard caught in the middle. Trouble is, you fucked with the wrong man."

"You're a fool. You've derailed the future of mankind!"

Cass snorted. "Future of mankind?" Veronica asked. "All I see is a freak. You're barely more than a ghoul. Hell, considering your plans, your own brain has likely rotted just like any ferals we happen to meet."

I took my revolver from its holster, gazing down as it rested in my hand. "As I told Benny before I shot him, I do wish I could remember this final words before he put two bullets in my head. Repeating those back to the men responsible for what happened…"

"Wait, I can…"

I raised the revolver and aimed. "There is nothing you can offer me, House. I have the chip and it's now up to me on how to decide the future. I'll call it fate."

"You'll be nothing but a disappointment. Or you'll be just like what you think I would be. A tyrant."

"No. Because I'm not an arrogant bastard. I don't think I'm a gift to the human race."

I pulled the trigger once. Revolver back in its holster, I glanced at Cass then Veronica, gesturing back to the elevator. We rode it in silence back to the penthouse, exploring it a little more. I found a bottle of whiskey as we stood by the window, sipping at a glass each.

"You've just changed the path New Vegas was on," Cass said, "Now all you see, the future of all this, is in your hands."

"Quite the responsibility."

"How do you feel?" Veronica asked.

"Righteous. Might seem like a weird word to use at such a moment, but I think it fits. Benny is now dead, the man who pulled the trigger. House is now dead, the man who was responsible for everything. I don't think I'm wrong. They were linked somehow. Victor too." I paused and sipped at my drink. "Might need to deal with him on the way out. When we head downstairs, make sure you have weapons in hand. Not sure if the Securitrons will attack us or not."

"You know, one would consider that you own this place now," Cass suggested.

I glanced at her. "You reckon?"

"Once that Yes Man robot is in charge…"

"Okay, let's see what happens. You both ready?"

Descending in the elevator, the three of us were rather tense. No surprise as we had no idea what sort of reception we'd receive. I was the first to step out with revolver in hand. To my surprise, there were two Securitrons and they remained docile, watching me walk by but they didn't order me to stop, drop my weapon, nothing…

Looking back, I gestured for Cass and Veronica to follow. I could almost feel the tension and their nerves, but just like myself, the Securitrons observed but did nothing else. Standing at the doors that led outside, I said they should be ready. Victor would be waiting, and it would not be happy.

Stepping outside, I was surprised to see it was gone. I had been expecting a shoot-out but, instead, it was a damp squib of an affair. I was actually disappointed. He'd given me the creeps the entire time, and putting him down alongside the other two… I knew the reason he was in Goodsprings now. It was all to do with House. His fingers had been absolutely everywhere.

Collecting Emily and Yes Man from The Tops, I escorted her into the Lucky 38. She was quite hesitant about heading inside, particularly when seeing the two Securitrons inside. The four of us headed up to the penthouse, where Yes Man did his thing, moving from his body into the mainframe itself. Emily had managed to collect a lot of data from the device she'd given us, though admitted House had quickly realised and put a halt to it.

So as Cass and Veronica waited, I took her downstairs to where House was now lying dead. She was shocked at the sight of his body, repeating what others had said about his basically being a ghoul. But she was delighted at all the technology on display. "Can we take the body?" she asked.

"I'm not sure that is wise. But if you want to do an autopsy, by all means, bring people in. I'm sure Yes Man can ensure the Securitrons will be far more co-operative going forward."

"So what will you be doing now?"

"I'm not sure. I know what Benny had planned. I know what House had planned. It's easy to figure out what the NCR and Legion want. What do the Followers want?"

"Simply to keep people safe and healthy. That's why House interested us so much. We knew it had to be medical science beyond our comprehension that was keeping him alive." She gestured around. "We were not wrong."

"Consider the Lucky 38 open to your researchers."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Thank you. About that drink…"

"Yeah?"

"I take it this place will become your new digs?" I returned a grin and shrugged. "Maybe it'll have a bar, a couple of stools, we can… chat…"

"I think we should continue this conversation not around the wrinkly old dead body."

Heading upstairs, the first thing I did was talk to Yes Man. He now had complete control and suggested there was one secret that he would only reveal to my ear. Cass said they'd head to the bar while I would talk with Yes Man. Once we were in privacy, he let me into the final part of the plan. An army of Securitrons were currently in position below the Fort.

"What? You mean under where the Legion is based?"

"Yes, but despite their best attempts, they have not managed to break through, nor will they ever be able to. The bunker was designed to withstand atomic explosions. There is nothing the Legion can use to break in."

"How many Securitrons?"

"Technically, the number is limitless. Once I send the signal, all Securtrons will receive an upgrade, and the process of building new Securitrons will begin."

"What will the upgrade do?"

"At the moment, each Securitron makes use of a 9mm submachine gun and the X-25 Gatling laser. With the upgrade to the Mark II operating system, in addition to these two weapons, each Securitron will make use of a G-28 25mm grenade launcher and M-235 missile launchers, in addition to an auto-repair function."

"Fucking hell…"

"Do you want me to send the signal?"

"Not yet. I assume there's a whole bunch of them, plus a reactor and other things. Waking them all up will just alert the Legion. How long would the signal take?"

"I send the signal, it will take mere moments for the units to activate and for new units to being production."

"Perfect."

"One last thing. The Presidential Suite upstairs is open and available if you wish to remain here. I'll make sure the elevator will now take you to the top floor."

"Thanks."

I found the three girls sitting at a bar, taking a seat on a stool next to Emily, Cass pouring me a drink before suggesting Veronica and herself would head back to The Tops. I suggested that was a good idea, though only because they could grab all their things then head up to the Presidential Suite, and they could make themselves at home up there. That earned me a kiss on the cheek from both again before they disappeared, rather excitedly chatting away.

"Well, they are both just adorable," Emily stated, "Cass can't stop talking about you. And Veronica… claims she likes women but there's no doubting she likes you too."

"But you're here with now. So… what's your story?"

"Well, I was born in Arroyo. I know you don't have your memories, so it's where someone called the Vault Dweller called home. He helped found the city and began its construction. Much of his life has since passed into legend, but their grandson is known as the Chosen One. He's been rather influential in matters back west. Anyway, you asked about me."

"I did."

She smiled rather shyly, sipping at her drink, doing that cute little thing Cass sometime did, curly her hair behind her ear. "Well, I've always been interested in the sciences, but unless you work for the NCR military, you won't get the funding for any sort of medical research. Tried with the OSI more times I can count, knocked back each time. So I left for the Mojave around five years ago and quickly found a home with the Followers."

"And how did you get wrapped up in Benny's scheme?"

"I knew he was my way in with House and all his technology. I knew he was ambitious. He never exactly told me his plans, but what he had me doing…" She gazed into my eyes and leaned forward, running her fingers along the scar. "Sorry he did that to you."

"It's fine. Been dealt with."

"But you can't remember a thing"?

"Not if I try, but I do have these flashes, these moments when I'll say something without thinking, and I know it's from a memory buried somewhere in my brain. Difficult to explain but… much of what I do just comes as second nature. Like all my skills with weapons, and how I've managed to deal with the various problems that have come my way."

Her fingers continued to trail along my scar before they moved down my cheek. She smiled again before slowly moving them away, looking a little embarrassed. I poured her another drink as she asked about my life since waking up. I admitted I'd been brutal at times, pragmatic at others, but also understanding and tolerant, such as when it came to the ghouls and their rockets, or the Khans in Boulder City.

Then I told her about the Wrangler. She found it rather amusing. "So you work as an escort, posing as a gay cowboy?"

"Yep."

"Did you enjoy it?"

I sipped at my drink. "Let me put it like this, Emily. Since I woke up in Goodsprings, I've slept with five women. I remember all their names. I've slept with I don't know how many men, and I know only two of their names."

"Wow, so you really like it?"

"I love a big thick cock inside me, Emily. But when it comes to a relationship, I do prefer being with woman. It's why I'm with Cass now. We're not in a relationship, but if she asked, I'd probably say yes. She's very understanding, but at the end of a long day, I like having her next to me." I met her eyes. "Or maybe someone else from time to time." I sipped at my drink again. "Does my past bother you?"

"Definitely not. I'm impressed you admit it so freely. Many men have problems admitting their sexuality nowadays."

"Not me. But I'm glad you don't mind."

"I'm here with you now because I had a good feeling about you."

"Even after what you saw downstairs?"

"Killing House? Very few people ever trusted the man. Didn't know him, but there's always be an undercurrent of fear on the Strip. Then there was how he treated nearly everyone. No, he was on the verge of being a tyrant. I have no problem with what you did."

"Would you like to stay the night?"

"I'd love to." I pulled her forward and kissed her. To say she melted against me wouldn't be an understatement, and when she opened her mouth, she moaned lightly rather quickly, which caused her to start giggling. "About time," she whispered.

Moving across to one of the lounges, we continued to sip at the bottle as we mixed talking and making out, Cass and Veronica eventually walking in with all our things. "Told you," Cass said, "You owe me ten caps, Veronica."

"What did you bet on, Veronica?" I wondered.

"I thought you'd already have her naked."

"Wow, you think I work that fast?"

"I wouldn't blame her if you did."

"Told you so," Emily whispered.

Veronica blushed brightly. Cass just gave her a gentle elbow. "Looks like our new friend has you sussed already."

"Something we need to talk about?" I asked Veronica. She met my eyes and was no doubt a little embarrassed. "Okay, not now though. Should we head upstairs and check it out?"

The suite was enormous, far larger than the one we had at The Tops, Cass letting me know that Swank was very disappointed that we were leaving. Emily gave me a look, letting her know he was one of the two I could remember the name. There was a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, a large bathroom with hot water, a recreational room with a bar, and also a kitchen.

We were walking around when a pair of robots appeared. They scared the shit out of us, though explained they were there to serve us, would cook meals, clean the rooms daily, and carry out any general maintenance. Explained why the suite still looked in good condition. It was illuminated, warm, quite cosy to be honest.

Checking the time, it was now rather late, so I suggested unpacking our things then I was going to take a shower. Emily had a small backpack, and she wondered if I'd be interested in joining her for a hot shower. Standing under the hot water was invigorating, and it took all of a few seconds for our bodies to press against each other as we made out. She felt the scars on my back, no doubt with plenty of questions on her mind, but they would wait until much later.

We did wash each other down, hands wandering everywhere, finding more than one erogenous zone on her body that provoked a reaction. I was now rock hard myself, so picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me as I lowered her down onto the bed. Still dripping with water, I joined her and leaned down to kiss her before I sat back a moment and checked out her body. Perky pair of breasts. Soft body, signs she lived a comfortable life compared to others, and also rather pale. Dark hair above her pussy, kept nice and trimmed.

Resuming our kiss, she was rather eager, feeling her legs press into my side as my cock gently rubbed up and down her slit. "I haven't been fucked in ages," she whispered.

"Can you wait a little longer?"

The next smile just dazzled me and, without a word, I moved down her body. Giving her breasts attention had her lightly moaning. She giggled as I kissed between her breasts and pussy. Then I simply devoured her. She wasn't quiet either, being rather complimentary of my skills with tongue and fingers, and when she enjoyed her first orgasm, she was waxing lyrical about how good it felt. Like usual, I didn't relent, and soon gave her another one. And another…

"My god," she whispered as I kissed up her body, meeting her eyes as I slowly slid my cock inside her. I would say we made love as it was slow and tender most of the time, something that seemed to delight her, as whenever we were not kissing, she had such a smile on her face, I couldn't help return in. Feeling her fingers eventually dig into my back was the signal, and it will always be a turn on when a woman breathes into my ear, wanting me to cum inside her.

I was delighted a little later when she straddled my lap, slid down my cock, and rode me incredibly slowly to start with, my hands resting at her hips to simply keep her balanced, as she eventually picked up the tempo, swapping bouncing up and down with grinding on my cock, little wonder she ended up enjoying another couple of orgasms before I had my second.

Resting on my chest afterwards, caressing her back with my right hand, she whispered, "I… Benny…"

I shushed her. "Whatever happened doesn't matter," I whispered, "You're here with me now. And I'm glad you stayed."

"I can stay, if you'd like. All the technology downstairs…"

"Cass won't mind, but we'll talk about it in the morning. But I'd like your company again. Can you handle my lifestyle?"

"Sleep with who you want. I'm just after a little fun sometimes."

"I think you'll like it here."

We needed another shower, hearing laughter from the other room when they heard it start up. This time, we just washed each other down, making sure we dried off before heading back to bed. Under freshly laundered sheets, she cuddled back into me, hearing her giggle again, stating it felt rather civilised compared to what she was used to. No wonder we both fell asleep rather quickly.

The next morning, we ate breakfast together at the kitchen table as I had to decide what to do next.