Fallout: New Vegas – The Lost Courier

Arthur took the eastern road leading toward the mountains near Novac, heading for the Repconn Test Site. The journey took him a few hours, but he finally arrived at the entrance road winding deep into the mountain.

Before he could proceed, movement caught his eye—several feral ghouls shambled aimlessly across the cracked asphalt, their guttural groans breaking the eerie silence.

Arthur exhaled sharply. "Great… just my luck."

Without hesitation, he pulled out his Rat Slayer, settling into a steady stance. The rifle's scope aligned with his first target. Crack! The shot echoed through the canyon as the bullet punched clean through a ghoul's skull, dropping it instantly. Shifting to the next, he squeezed the trigger again. Crack! Another one down.

Lining up a third, he fired. Crack! The shot staggered the creature but didn't finish it. "Tch," Arthur clicked his tongue. "Tough bastard." Without missing a beat, he adjusted his aim and fired another round. Crack! This time, the ghoul collapsed in a lifeless heap.

A moment of silence. Then, the remaining ghouls snapped their heads toward him. Their sun-scorched bodies twitched as their glowing eyes locked onto their newfound prey.

Arthur sighed. "Here we go…"

With sudden, inhuman screeches, the horde lunged forward.

Arthur kept his cool, gripping his Rat Slayer tightly as he fired rapidly. Crack! Crack! Crack! Several ghouls fell in rapid succession, but the rest were relentless, charging through the gunfire like rabid animals.

"Persistent freaks," Arthur muttered. As the last few reached him, he swiftly slung the rifle onto his back. His hand darted to his left holster, drawing his newly acquired sidearm. The metal clicked as he flicked off the safety.

Engaging V.A.T.S., the world around him seemed to slow. His targeting reticle locked onto each ghoul in sequence.

BLAM! The first head exploded in a mist of darkened blood.

BLAM! Another ghoul crumpled before it could take another step.

BLAM! BLAM! One by one, the creatures dropped like puppets with their strings cut.

As the final ghoul fell, Arthur exhaled, letting his grip on the pistol relax slightly. The silence returned, broken only by the distant rustling of the wasteland wind.

He quickly reloaded, the click-clack of the magazine sliding into place echoing in the empty canyon. His sharp gaze scanned the road ahead.

"Alright," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Let's try this again."

Following the road deeper into the mountains, Arthur finally arrived near the Repconn Test Site. The once-quiet ruins were now teeming with feral ghouls, their guttural groans drifting through the still air like a warning.

Arthur exhaled, gripping his Rat Slayer. "Alright, let's thin the herd."

Taking position, he peered through the scope and lined up his shot.

Crack! The first ghoul's skull exploded in a mist of darkened blood.

Crack! Another dropped, twitching before going still.

He shifted his aim to a third target and pulled the trigger—

Click.

Nothing.

Arthur's brow furrowed. He quickly pulled the bolt back, but it barely budged.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered. He tried again, but the mechanism refused to cooperate. The realization hit him like a brick—he had been overusing his sniper rifle without proper maintenance. Now, the damn thing had completely locked up.

He sighed in frustration, slinging the useless rifle onto his back. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."

Reaching for his weapons, he drew Chance's Knife in his left hand, the blade catching the sun with a menacing gleam. In his right, he pulled out his pistol, chambering a round with a sharp click-clack.

The remaining ghouls, drawn by the gunfire, let out a chorus of shrieks before charging.

Arthur wasted no time.

BLAM! The first ghoul's head snapped back as a bullet tore through its skull.

BLAM! BLAM! Two more shots sent another tumbling to the cracked asphalt.

A third lunged at him, rotten fingers grasping at his jacket. Arthur sidestepped effortlessly and slashed. Shhhk! The blade carved through its throat in a clean, brutal arc, sending a spray of darkened blood into the air. The ghoul gurgled before crumpling.

Behind him, another ghoul shrieked and pounced. Without looking, Arthur twisted on his heel, driving Chance's Knife deep into its forehead. The creature spasmed violently as he twisted the blade and yanked it free with a wet schlkk!

The last ghoul, its glowing eyes locked onto him, sprinted forward with an ear-splitting screech.

Arthur didn't even flinch. He raised his pistol and pulled the trigger.

BLAM!

The bullet punched clean through the ghoul's skull, sending its lifeless body skidding across the dirt.

Silence returned, broken only by Arthur's steady breathing. He wiped his blade against his sleeve, reloaded his pistol with a satisfying click, and scanned the area.

The entrance to the Repconn Test Site stood unguarded, its rusted doors looming ahead.

Arthur rolled his shoulders, letting out a breath. "Alright. Let's see what's waiting inside."

He stepped into the Repconn Test Site, the stale air thick with the scent of decay and rust. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the cracked floor, and just a few feet ahead, he spotted a massive, blue-skinned corpse sprawled across the tiles.

"A nightkin…" Arthur muttered, kneeling to inspect the body. Its flesh was riddled with bullet wounds, and beside it lay a shattered rebar club. Just as he reached for its belongings, a nearby intercom crackled to life.

"Hey! Over here! Are you listening?"

Arthur's hand instinctively hovered over his holster. His sharp eyes flicked toward the rusted speaker mounted on the wall.

"Go to the big room on the east side of this building and take the metal staircase all the way up. Hurry!"

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter, smoothskin. Stop wasting time and get up here!"

Arthur sighed. "Fine."

"Let's hope you do." The voice cut out, leaving only eerie silence.

Arthur turned his attention back to the nightkin's body, quickly searching through its possessions. A satisfied smirk crossed his lips as he pulled out a Stealth Boy.

"Now this'll make things easier."

Activating the device, Arthur watched as his body shimmered out of view. His form became a faint, translucent blur—undetectable to the feral ghouls now lurking deeper in the facility.

Moving through the corridors, he kept his steps light, hugging the walls as he advanced. The halls were crawling with the mindless creatures—rotting bodies twitching as they sniffed the air, searching for prey.

Arthur grinned. "Let's make this quick."

He crept up behind the first ghoul, gripping Chance's Knife tightly. With a swift, brutal motion, he plunged the blade into the base of its skull and twisted. The creature spasmed once before going still.

Lowering the body silently, he advanced toward the next target—a pair of ghouls hunched over a mangled skeleton. He sprang forward, driving the knife into the first ghoul's throat before ripping it free in a spray of blackened blood. The second turned, jaws snapping hungrily—too late. Arthur dodged its grasp and buried his knife into its chest, yanking downward to carve through its rotted torso. The ghoul let out a wet gurgle before crumpling to the ground.

Further ahead, another ghoul lurched in the hallway, its glowing eyes scanning for movement. Arthur picked up a loose metal scrap and flicked it across the floor. The ghoul's head snapped toward the sound.

"Gotcha," Arthur muttered.

As it shambled toward the noise, he rushed forward, launching himself onto its back. Wrapping an arm around its neck, he jerked its head back and, with a brutal stab, rammed his knife into the soft tissue beneath its jaw. The ghoul thrashed, but Kai held firm, twisting the blade until its struggles ceased.

One after another, the ghouls fell—silent deaths in the dark.

After clearing the floor, Arthur wiped his blade clean and searched through the abandoned desks and lockers. His efforts were rewarded—stimpaks, energy cells, and a few cartons of cigarettes to trade later.

With his bag heavier and his path now clear, he turned toward the staircase

With his bag slightly heavier and his presence still undetected, Arthur pressed forward toward the staircase, climbing higher into the unknown. The air grew still, thick with dust and the lingering scent of decay. As he reached the top, he found himself face to face with a heavy, locked door.

Beside it, an old intercom crackled to life the moment he pressed the button.

"Alright, smoothskin, I'm letting you in. You better watch yourself… 'cause I sure as hell will be watching you."

The speaker cut out with a sharp click, and a loud clang echoed as the metal door unlocked.

Arthur exhaled through his nose. "Friendly guy."

With one last glance behind him, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, ready to meet the mysterious voice on the other side.