As Six sat back in the War Bus, his gaze drifted through the window, taking in the ruins of Boulder City. The town, once a thriving settlement, now lay in a state of decay, its streets littered with the scars of history.
The Great War had not been kind to it, and the First Battle of Hoover Dam had dealt the final blow. Yet, despite the devastation, it still stood as a reminder of the sacrifices made, the courage of those who had fought, and the tenacity of the people who had tried to rebuild.
He could still remember the stories of how the NCR had used Boulder City as a booby trap against Caesar's Legion, packing the town with explosives and luring the Legion into a deadly trap.
The Legion had marched in, thinking they had the upper hand, only to have the town collapse around them in a fiery explosion.
It had been a costly victory for the NCR, but it had been enough to break the Legion's offensive and throw them back across the Colorado River.
Boulder City had become a graveyard of fallen NCR Troopers, and the Boulder City Memorial stood as a tribute to their sacrifice, its stone pillars marking the end of a brutal battle.
The remnants of the battle still haunted the town, with only the Boulder City Train Station and the Big Horn Saloon left standing.
Over the years, the town had become little more than a stopover point for caravans, a quiet place for travelers to rest. The concrete workers, who had once inhabited the town, had long since moved on, leaving Ike as the lone occupant.
Without the vital limestone from Quarry Junction, which had been halted due to the Deathclaw infestation, the town's economy had ground to a halt. The sound of heavy machinery was replaced by the distant echoes of the past.
Six finished his meal and wiped his mouth, his thoughts focused on the future. The recent deal with Colonel Cassandra Moore had been a turning point. He'd secured the rights to purchase land and buildings in the town, and with that, he planned to open his VI Family Merchant Services.
With the deal secured, Six wasted no time putting his plans into action. The land and ruins he had acquired in Boulder City provided a prime location for establishing a foothold in NCR-controlled territory. His VI merchant services would offer food supplies, apparel, weapons, ammo, and other essentials—filling the void left by the departing workers.
The moment Six finalized the purchase, his droids got to work, clearing debris and salvaging whatever materials they could. The city had been little more than a ghost town, but under his hands, it would soon become a hub of trade and supply.
Since the start of the nuclear winter, supplies have become scarce. With the NCR's ongoing skirmishes with Caesar's Legion, the demand for weapons and supplies is at an all-time high. And Six intended to capitalize on that opportunity.
Colonel Cassandra Moore, despite her hard-edged nature, had been surprisingly accommodating. She proved to be an excellent ally and wasn't the typical bureaucratic officer.
Though she resented the confines of her office job, she recognized the strategic value in what Six was doing. More supplies meant a better-equipped NCR, and she wasn't one to turn down an opportunity that benefited her troops.
He remembered her words clearly when they'd met.
"I resent being stuck behind a desk all day. I miss being out there in the open air—planting explosives, laying down covering fire. But here I am, forced into an office after an injury. Promoted to colonel, and they stick me here. Hell of a joke."
Her honesty had caught him off guard, and her story resonated with him. The NCR had forced her into administrative duties after an injury, and she clearly longed for the excitement of the field.
There was something relatable about her frustration, and Six had a feeling they could work well together. Rebecca, too, had hit it off almost instantly—both were strong-willed women who appreciated the fine craftsmanship of a well-maintained firearm.
The two women quickly became inseparable, bonding over their shared experiences in a world that had long since lost any semblance of normalcy. Moore's love for explosives and combat found an eager audience in Rebecca, who, after hearing about her time with the Rangers, respected the colonel immensely.
"I never thought I'd find someone like you."
Moore had told Rebecca one evening as they worked together on organizing the stockpile of weapons.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders. If this whole merchant thing ever falls apart, I think you'd do well leading your own team in the NCR."
Rebecca smiled, brushing her hair back.
"Maybe. But for now, I'm sticking by Six. We've got a family, and that comes first."
Rebecca, ever the resourceful one, made sure that Moore had access to some of the surplus ammunition and weapons that the VI family had stockpiled.
It was a gesture of goodwill, one that ensured their relationship would continue to grow, and it gave Moore the edge she needed to stay well-equipped while managing the NCR's interests in the region.
Moore soon found herself with an informal VIP discount on weapons and ammunition supplied by the VI family.
It wasn't an official deal—nothing written in ink—but Six knew that having someone like Moore on their side would open doors within the NCR. The supplies were surplus to them anyway, thanks to his ever-expanding resource operations.
As Six glanced out the window again, his thoughts shifted to the future of Boulder City. With the concrete industry stalled, the town was struggling, but with his plans in motion, he knew he could breathe life back into it.
Six watched his droids erect the first structures of his new outpost, he considered the bigger picture. The rebuilding would take time, and it wouldn't be easy, but he had the resources, the manpower, and the drive to make it happen.
Boulder City had once been a crucial battleground, a town sacrificed for the greater war effort. Now, with Moore's help and the VI family's network of contacts, Boulder City could become more than just a ghost town—filled with memories of the past.
It could become a thriving hub of commerce, a new center a stepping stone to further cement his growing influence in the Mojave, for its scattered communities.
"Let's get to work."
Six muttered to himself, his mind already racing with the next steps.
Rebecca sat beside him in the War Bus, cleaning her weapons with a satisfied smile.
"You know, big guy."
She said, glanced at him.
"Moore's got a real soft spot for this stuff. I think she misses the action."
Six smirked.
"She's a soldier at heart. People like her don't retire easily. But having her in our corner is going to pay off."
Rebecca chuckled, setting her rifle aside.
"And here I thought you'd just be happy about the profits you made, with the ammo discounts you gave your new BFF."
Six said, sipping his drink.
"Oh, I am, too."
"But I'm even happier about what we're building here."
Outside, his droids continued their work, and Boulder City, once a battlefield, began to transform into something new.