So, Mr. House eh? I was finally going to see what all the fuss around was about.
Victor, at the entrance of the Lucky 38, told me that I could not bring any friends along, so they had to wait. I asked Veronica to keep ED-E around while she cruised the Strip.
I went into the Lucky 38 and it was creepy. I had never been into a casino before but this one... It had a ghostly feel. It was about right, since no one had set foot in that thing for 200 years or something. The casino floor was guarded by some of those securitrons and had an elevator. Victor was with me and he was the one who operated the elevator, taking me to the Penthouse floor.
The elevator took forever. When we arrived, right out the elevator was a robot like the others, but with a woman's face on the screen. She told me she was Jenny, one of Mr. House's girls. Then I asked her about Mr. House. She told me he was responsible for having New Vegas at that state, so different from the rest of the Wasteland, that he was the smartest and greatest man ever. I walked on to the other part of the Penthouse and a big chill went down my spine. A mix of emotions: fear, creepiness, but respect too. Why?
He was a monitor. Of course! He had been alive for more than 200 years, how could he not be some kind of robot or somehow being kept alive and operating not through his own body?!
He told me that it was a meeting of a long time coming and that I had come a long way, both literally and figurativelly. Then asked what did I think of my destination, since I had arrived. The Strip wasn't really my thing so, in a lost for words from being amazed, I just said that I had never seen anything like it. Which wasn't a lie at all. Then I asked him why was he treating me like some VIP, since I was just a kid who had to be a Courier to survive. He told me not to underestimate myself and that I had been playing a highstakes game all along. Somehow it was true. Then we went down to business. He told me one of his employees had stolen an item of much importance to him, the Platinum Chip. The employee was Benny. I was finally going to meet him and, by doing so, work for Mr. House. He filled me in about Benny and how to get to him. A man named Swank would probably help me. I also asked about the Platinum Chip. He said I didn't have to know much at that state of our "enterprisement", but still I tried to pull the card of the "right to know more", which, obviously, didn't work, because it was not true, as Mr. House told me himself. He told me he was the only one who had the "rights", since he was the one who created it and put a huge mass of money into it's making and also into it's recovery. Then I asked why use a single Courier (or a bunch of them, being all of them except me decoys) to transport the Platinum Chip, since it was so important. He told me that if he had used a great armed caravan he would be announcing the world that they were carrying something important. His way only didn't work because he didn't realise Benny was out to get him. I felt really dumb around Mr. House. Then I asked him one of the most important questions for me...
Who exactly was Mr. House?
"Robert Edwin House, President, CEO and sole proprietor of the New Vegas Strip". He told me he oversaw the city's renovation from 2274 onwards, with the Three Families as his employees. Before the Great War he was the president, founder and CEO of the RobCo industries. I told him, taking a risk, that he appeared only a monitor, not a man. He replyied by saying that he was indeed flesh and blood. When I asked him how did he establish this "New" Vegas he told me that he took action once the NCR arrived at the Hoover Dam. He recruited the Three Families and rebuilt the Strip, just in time to make himslef it's owner and having the NCR negociating a treaty. Their money and electricity for a place in New Vegas. I finally asked him how did he manage t stay alive for that long. He only told me it was very costly, not only finacial-wise but also in terms of the whole longevity thing, which must really be a pain. Come to think of it, he went through his whole world dying. I there wondered what for. Would he be a mass emperor of evil or was he going to try and rebuild society, making the world a better place? Only one way to find out.
I left Mr. House's living room (where the monitor was set). Mr. House... Arrogant, bossy... But somehow I believe in him. I headed to The Tops. Killing Benny was now more for the fulfilling of Mr. House's plans than for my personal revenge. But it was still for my personal revenge.
On my way out Victor told me that Mr. House had given me the Presidential Suite. Awesome! He told me that any friends I had could hang there, but only I could see Mr. House. Fair enough. I explored the Lucky 38 a little bit. First my suite and then the cocktail lounge, where I had a great view (I mean, Lucky 38 is seen by almost everywhere in the wastes, so imagine the view I had from that prespective). My suite had a weird stand in one of the rooms. My snowglobes seemed to fit the stand's holes. I had to ask around about that later. Than in the cocktail lounge I sat back and enjoyed the view. And what would you know, while exploring the Lounge for a bit I found a snowglobe itself! Then it was time for me to leave.
When I exited a guy of the NCR came running to me, with a message from the NCR's Ambassador at The Strip. I thanked and when he left tore down the paper and left it there. Veronica and ED-E were already there waiting for me. I told them to go to the suite while I tended to business.
Now I'm at The Tops' entrance. I'll let you know how it goes down.
Love you,
Bill
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