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Update 20 - All This Better Not Happen Again
Alternate title- Infodump.update
Supposed to be the Grand Opening of the Sierra Madre. Lots of lights, music, the works. And he's going to use the Gala Event... to open the casino? But... that's... interesting.
No, the place'll close up tighter than an opening at the Fronds. Or Danny Parker's sphincter when he has to tip a doorman.
The Gala Event's tied into the casino's generators?
Right, look ? so not everything about the Villa was the pinnacle of bright ideas. In order to pull off the Gala, old Sinclair had to get creative... the Sierra Madre announcement, for example. Not just for the casino, not at all.
What do you mean about the Sierra Madre broadcast?
Well, Vera's beautiful voice doesn't run on casino power, exactly. Her broadcast is tied into the emergency broadcast signal for the Sierra Madre. You know, in case of attack? Well, guess what ? the night of the Gala Event, the emergency signal went out all right.
So... it's not an invitation, it's a call for help.
Yeah. The Sierra Madre's last song, one only a few people are ever going to hear. A little sad, but what can you do?
According to the marker, you're slated for a spot in Puesta del Sol.
That place during Spring, Summer, and Fall, a little bit in Winter, is a prime resort spot for Ghost People. Not the best of neighborhoods. If we're going there, I'm not going alone. And if you have any bright ideas about telling me to stroll over there ? or leave me there? No thanks.
Any idea why he wants you there?
Partner, I'm not sure this guy's operating with a full deck. My bet? Process of elimination, lowest common denominator.
Plus, I'm guessing wherever ol' Doggy Boy's needed doesn't need smarts. I hope not, or we're royally jones'd.
What about Christine?
I don't know. She might need to hold some place where speaking isn't important. Like stage tech? Lighting? Got me. And me? I've had prime billing in Europe, New York... and this gig doesn't feel like that.
I'm not following you.
Odd man out... dead weight. Someone you need holding the toolbox, the nurse passing the scalpel, the chauffer driving you to the concert. Any guy with hands is who he needs up on that rooftop. Guess he thinks I don't rate, looking like I do. Poor him.
That's Dean's take ? he's not too happy about this since his greatest attributes are "clever with traps" and "healed by radiation" ? at least in Elijah's eyes. We of course see him as a lovably entertaining son of a bitch, but the Madre doesn't leave room for anyone else's personality.
Let's "speak" with Christine next. For what it's worth, I question how we know her name ? Elijah just referred to her by collar number and I don't know why he'd put it in the Pip-Boy as anything else ? and she sure didn't tell us herself. I'm just going to chalk it up to Gamebryo and the writers making a small mistake in remembering that what the player and player character know aren't necessarily the same thing.
[She glances at your wrist, then back at the Fountain.]
Think he might be close, then. Any idea where?
[She surveys the area, focusing upwards. She glances at the casino, frowns. She then looks West, then East. Christine holds out her hand, and motions at your Pip-Boy.]
<Show her the Pip-Boy.>
[She doesn't seem interested in the screen ? she studies the exterior, then the casing. She seems to be making sure it's intact. Her finger stabs through the red buttons, narrowing in on the local map. She scrolls to the Sierra Madre's main gate, frowns, backs out.]
[She looks up at you, points at marker on your Pip-boy, points West and tilts her head.]
Why do you think he wants you to go to the Puesta del Sol Switching Station?
[She frowns, then makes a motion as if typing at keys... then she points at you, raises her left wrist and pantomimes talking into it. She points at you, then her, looks left and right, raises two fingers, tries to type, pauses, and slowly shakes her head.]
Things would be a lot easier if you did one snap for yes, two snaps for no.
[She smiles humorlessly. She then nods once slowly. Then she shakes her head slowly. She then looks at you, her face wrinkled in a humorless smile.]
A smile... now that's more like it.
[Still smiling, she rolls her eyes, and then slowly taps the back of her wrist.]
You really need to relax. This entire place is a Pre-War paradise, you know.
[She looks at you, surprised. Then she opens her mouth as if to laugh... silently.]
Look... we'll find a way to heal you, all right?
[She doesn't look at you, continues to stare darkly in front of her. After a moment, she glances at you, then taps the back of her wrist. She nods in front of her.]
Last up is Dog and God. As usual, they get very up-close-and-personal with the camera. 
The Gala Event is the way to bring the Old Man out. He won't show himself until the casino doors are open. So triggering the Event is key... and the key. The question becomes... can we trust each other to do this? We'll see.
Do you know anything else?
Dog might now more, you should ask him. Beware the answer, because I think Dog got hungry, he couldn't help himself.
Any reason why you're assigned to this point on the map?
Maybe it's familiar, comfortable. Practice makes perfect.
Besides, none of your assembled band of thieves look able to rip a 200 year rusted power switch down like a machete to fire up an entire town.
That's enough for now.
Okay, that's what God had to say. Let's talk to Dog now. (God even suggested it!)
Dog, do you know why you have to go to the position on this map?
Hard to pull things...? Dog has to pull very, very hard to... are we going there?
We need to get you to the Gala Event. Get you to your place.
Dog... Dog has herad that before. Was there pretty lights? There... were things to pull? Hard to pull, but Dog did. And... a cage. ...and Dog was hungry there. Dog... was someone else there, with Dog. Then... then there was noise, then... lights... and streets... screamed.
So the Gala Event was triggered at least once?
Uh-huh. Master ordered it. "Take places." Then... Master went away. Left Dog... Dog in cage. Casino open long time ago, not sure when... voice keeps putting Dog in cage. Haven't seen Master since, only hear voice on your arm and from walls.
So Master vanished around that time.
Master went away until you show up with him on your arm.
Wait fuck, this happened before. Time to prompt God with our new information.
Dog said he triggered the Gala Event once already.
He said the casino opened up.
Very good. As for the casino... yes, it did.
If the casino opened up, then why are we here?
He's trapped in there. As I hoped he would be.
If he got trapped, why didn't he set off the collars?
Because he couldn't. As soon as he made his way into the casino, it sealed up... and the casino's construction allowed me an opportunity to escape. The collars... unhooked. I... was free.
Does the casino block the signal?
It should have... the casino's construction is unusual. Signals in there get... scrambled, some alloy in the architecture... I don't know.
The Pip-boy could boost the signal. If Elijah has a Pip-Boy, that would explain it.
Yes... he wears a Pip-Boy on his wrist, just as you do. If he's feeding commands and signals, then I would be careful. He's most likely installed a contingency switch in the Pip-Boy. If the signal gets cut off, or you try and remove it... well, then we'll all die.
He can't possibly have set up a deadman's switch like that.
He seems to not only understand the workings of Pre-War tech, he seems to breathe it. And... these collars, commandeering your Pip-Boy...
Well. That's what we can learn so far. Elijah had another team, a long time ago, that managed to open up the Casino ? and it looks like he's gotten stuck inside in more ways than one. Clearly he still needs some help inside, or else he would have looted the Madre for everything it was worth and moved on. And we're stuck because of the fucking Pip-Boy. Thanks a lot, Doc Mitchell.
...Then again, Elijah talking through the Pip-Boy is the reason Dog didn't eat us when he found us unconscious so okay maybe it could be worse.
Anyhow! It's time to start getting characters to their positions. Let's start with God/Dog (even though they should ideally be last if you want to do things efficiently but I don't care, I still need points in Medicine so we can get at the rest of Christine's dialogue 
)
A dark screenshot, but look in the upper left ? there's a repeatable challenge for every 10 of a type of Ghost Person you kill. Not bad. This also levels us up and I put the points into Medicine.
How right you are, graffiti. How right you are.
Here's a shot of the goopy Cloud residue you can collect.
And then I died! Fortunately I'd barely done anything since the last autosave so hey.
That terminal just let me power off some speakers I couldn't see. Useful enough, useful enough.
Man fuck radios
And here's right where I get confused and go the wrong way, this door comes later in the quest but I forgot that and went through. Just like I always do fuck the sameyness of the Madre, jesus christ.
There is a RadAway code though. Niiiice.
There are some terminals and such that contain Madre history. I'm actually on track to get all of them! 
Ahhh fuck. Ghost People in the wine cellar!
It is at this point that I realized SA doesn't have a single Doctor Who themed smiley, and yet Kheldragar spent $30 on 
and named it after himself. What the fuck guys. Also, this Doctor Who reference is not a Wild Wasteland thing. It's just there for the attentive.
It is right fucking here at the end that I realize I'm in the wrong place 
There's a code for a holo-rifle upgrade here though so whatever, could be worse.
Then 15 minutes of wandering later I finally find the door again and get out. Ugggh Sierra Madre architecture
So cloooooose to being a perfect immortal medicined up Courier.
I did actually want this one
because it pays its 2000 in Sierra Madre chips, which trivializes the rest of the DLC (hp threat-wise anyway). Also? Still not the best source of Sierra Madre chips!
AHAH.
...these switches won't move themselves, after all... there must be some trick to it. Now that I'm here... what do you expect me to do?
Do you know how to operate the switches?
I do... the diagram there tells me what I need to know.
If you know how to operate the switches, I need you to trust me to get through this.
No, I can help you. These wiring diagrams... I know how to operate the switches in sequence to make fire appear in the sky. I... we just need to make sure that Dog doesn't surface before that happens. To do that... he'll need to be fed. That makes him stay in the Cage.
What kind of food should I bring back?
Find some of the inhabitants... it'll require some hunting on your part. Kill them, take some of the remains inside them, bring it back here. They're not easy to kill. But... I have faith in you, and the beast must be fed if you want him to stay in this cage.
All right, I'll go hunting, see what I can find.
Two chunks of meat from their bodies should be enough. Hunt... quietly, so as not to draw more here.
At this point the game repopulates the area a little just in case you killed the normal ones.
Also their drops change ? just find two, kill them, grab the whatever they're made of and bring it back.
Yes, this should be enough.
You're good at fetching... this should keep him where he belongs. For now. I'll wait... send the signal, we'll be ready.
Of course, we can just leave apparently. There's lots of opportunities to fuck over your companions. It's a bad idea, but it can be done. Also there's the code for an upgrade for the Bear Trap Fist right here but I forgot to grab it 
Oh, and this terminal nearby can be used to turn on some ventilation systems that clears out a bit of the Cloud. Handy enough, I suppose.
I find a laser pistol roaming around. I like these in this DLC because they have a very low weapon spread, no requirements, and are otherwise so goddamn useless that they're the perfect thing to shoot radios and speakers with. Seriously, it's weaker than a 9mm pistol. It's not the 0 spread it has in Fallout 3, but it's pretty low. There are actually several rifles and other things that have lower spread but they're not available in Dead Money.
Also I hit level 20 and grab Better Criticals since our crit chance is ridiculous because 10 Luck New Vegas.