Fallout NV: It's a Wonderful Life

Fallout New Vegas has been a my game of choice for a while now. I don't know there is something about it, whether it be the style, location, or the hours I've spent doing quests, I always seem to come back to it.

Last December I returned to the Mohave Wasteland, to find my chacter acting very sluggish. I did a quick inventory check to make sure that I wasn't carrying beyond capacity, but to my surprise I was actually 40(unspecified amount Fallout doesn't use a real system of measurement) under. This made me a little angry because I never like the speed Fallout characters had to begin with, so a almost idle speed made exploring impossible.

The weird things continued to happen when I fast traveled to Helious One. When I got there the guards at first refused to shoot, normally due to my rep with the NCR they would shoot on sight however it was like they didn't sense me as a threat, and when fire geckos nearby came to attack me my character refused to fight back or defend himself. Due to my power amour the did little damage so I brought them near the NCR guards to take care of them. Once I was cleared of any enemies I decided to go to the top of the solar tower in the plant to recharge this unique gun you can get at Freeside.

I entered the base of the building, and after doing some direction following, I reached the top of the tower. When I got to the panel another strange thing happened, the panel usually used to recharge the gun was inactive. I had no clue what was going on at this point, it seemed everything I wanted to do wouldn't work. A thought of desperation then came to my head maybe if I jumped off the tower and killed myself things would return to normal. This was the best idea I could think of, and if anything it would at least get me down faster then the new turtle speed I was accustom to. I got to the upper portion heading for the ledge since I was unable to jump, but when I arrived I saw a man named Clarence.

No one was ever up here before so I was a bit freaked out at first, then I realized he was blocking my way down so I clicked on him to see what he had to say. Once the dialog started he said "boy do you look sad,"  I responded with the classic "..." He then said "I hope you weren't trying to kill yourself, being your guardian angel and all it wouldn't look to good if I let you do it" at this point my curiosity had reached a all time high. I though that maybe this was a new quest and I could get some amazing item in return so I responded with the only choice there was "look nothing personal but I'm just becoming a burden to all I know and wish I just stayed I my shallow grave,"  Clarence didn't like the option but it was the only one I had so for the sake of the quest I picked It. He responded with" you know how bad off this world would be if I just let you die?" My response was yet again "...," then he said "look I show you and then I'll get my wings."

Before I could pick a choice the screen turned black, then bight blue and white, finally we were shown to be at the grave site at the start of the game. But this time Ringo, the caravan guy from the first quest was hung by a noose in the middle of the town. Around him were all the people of the town dead. "Without you no one could take out the Powder Gangers and the whole town was destroyed" Clarence said. He was right not only were the people dead the whole town has been burnt to the ground. "Next" he said, the screen then faded to black.

This time once the screen focused I was in the town of Freeside at the group of Elvis impersonators club. It went to the King's room where he laid crying on the floor with what looked to be the dog Rex. Rex may have been a minor side companion, but I always felt bad for him, not only did his robot brain have a problem but the only cure was to be taken away from his loving owner. That moment in the game use to tug at my heart -strings and choke me up a little, so the fact such a minor plot was included in this flashback meant Clarence knew what would get to me in real life. The camera then turned to Clarence he said"without you being able to take Rex out on missions, his health deteriorated and he eventually died." I was beginning to think that I got myself into more than I could handle but yet again the screen faded to black.

"Final stop" Clarence said, my gut wrenched I knew that this was going to be the worst, and boy was I right. We were transported to the Hooverdam, which spoiler alert is where the final battle between the NCR and the legion took place, but instead of Ceaser leading the Legion, it was Benny. There were bodies and limbs scattered along the battle field, people from all factions of the game were present as well. There were the Mutants, Remnants, Brotherhood, and the Boomers. This wasn't just the final battle, no this was the final war, "without you their to help things got out of hand  and soon 2/3 of the wasteland were either dead or injured, without you there to stop Benny he gained all the power soon took over what was left of the country." This I was not expecting, after years of playing this game to see it all just go down it's breathtaking. Clarence turned and before he could say his script my chacter said "Enough!"

We went back to the normal game, or the outcome I had created. It was all there Goodsprings, Rex and most importantly the whole wasteland. Clarence turn and said "now don't you see you had a purpose, don't you see that It's a wonderful life" after all the years I've played New Vegas not once did I think just how important I really was to the wasteland. My character responded with" thanks now I see this world isn't better off with me dead, but what happens to you?" Clarence smiled and said that now he gets his wings and he's free. Then an Achievement popped up"It's a Wonderful Life"

It then all clicked between Clarence, guardian angel, and that phrase I realized that this was a reference to that old Christmas movie that has been redone to a insane degree, you know the one where the guy wishes he was never born yadda yadda then has a self realization and bam a happy Christmas scene happens.It made laugh a bit I don't know maybe it was the timing with Christmas being three days away, but I knew that this would stick with me everytime I see one of those movies on holiday T.V, and maybe sometime around I would see Clarence in the vastness of the Fallout wasteland.