"Wake up, you merc!" This time, I was pushed over from my bed and towards the floor. I landed 'smoothly' on the floor, with my nose landing first with my head followed afterward by the taste of dirt that entered my mouth.

I swore, I shouldn't have slept on the 'owned' beds of NCR soldiers, but sleeping on the floor was not an option either. I sighed, fix my clothing, and headed to Lacey to ask for something to eat. I'd try to avoid pre-war food if I could.

"Ah, how was your sleep?" Lacey asked.

"Terrible," I said as I looked at the snoring NCR soldier that pushed me away from the bunk bed.

"You'll get used to it, rich man. What do you want to buy?" Lacey asked.

"Anything I can eat, but please, something that doesn't taste funky," I begged her. I didn't want to eat battery acid covered in chocolate ever again. The acidic taste still left in my mouth, that thing didn't even have orange in it for God's sake.

"Noodle cups? NCR-made, do you want it?" Lacey asked.

"Hmm, good grief, please," I replied.

"Thanks."

The noodle cup looked decent, it was a noodle in a literal plastic cup. Maybe the NCR managed to salvage a noodle factory, but hey, if it was freshly made, I'd be damn if this tasted as bad as the previous thing. Lacey poured hot water into that plastic cup and gave it to me.

"It'll be 2 caps," she said.

"That's cheap," I said as I retrieved the cup and asked for a fork.

She gave me a form, "Well, what can I say, people all around here look for cheap foods, and that thing is the cheapest food. Only need some grains, and it's not like we don't produce some," she said.

"Alright, thanks." I retrieved a Sunset Sarsaparilla from my Pip-Boy inventory and placed it right next to the noodle cup.

Well, I had to say that it wasn't exactly the healthiest option, but hey, if it was delicious, why the heck not? Besides, I never tasted Sunset Sarsaparilla before, it might be as good as an ordinary beer at the very least. I'd assume it tasted similar to A&W beer.

I opened the bottle with the edge of the counter and put the bottle next to my noodle. I ate the noodle, I tasted the broth first. It tasted just like regular instant noodles, thankfully. It was savory, salty, and a little spicy. Overall, 6/10 for overall taste, but in comparison to the last snack bar, it was 20/10, simply amazing.

"Boy, you ate quick, didn't you?" Lacey commented as I finished the instant noodle.

"Yeah… I think I'll return to Primm first, see what I'd do."

"You know, I need a favor, can you deliver something for me to Camp Searchlight, near the river?" Lacey asked.

"Hmm? What do you need?"

"There is an emergency situation requiring immediate attention there. With that thing being too close to Colorado, there was a risk of legion ambush if the NCR delivered supply there right now, so, why don't you do it, I'll give you 100 caps," Lacey offered.

100 caps? Why the amount was that small? Was it because the merchant was simply too greedy, or was it because Lacey simply didn't have that many bottlecaps on her hands? She was a merchant, she should have at least 2,000 caps on her inventory alone.

"Lacey, I can go back to Primm and get something better than mere delivery with only 100 caps as a reward," I countered that offer.

"Fine, 250 caps, how's that sound?" Lacey offered.

"Lacey, I can go back now, I have enough caps," I said.

"500 caps," Lacey offered much more caps than that.

"Hmm, you said that there is a risk of Legion ambush, why don't you offer me something more?" I asked.

"Fine, 500 caps and this NCR army combat helmet. So, are you going to help me or what?" She asked as she put an NCR helmet on the counter."

"Now we're talking," I smiled and wore that helmet. Checking at the stats at my Pip-Boy, it was fairly decent, but for protection, it might be enough to protect me from small arms fire, perhaps? This was only a steel bucket as far as I could tell.

[Trooper Helmet]

DT: 2

DR: 2

Weight: 3

Mods: -

Value: 50

[NCR Medicinal Supplies have been added to inventory]

"When you arrived at Camp Searchlight, search for Sergeant Astor, he will help you," Lacey said.

"Alright, thanks," I said.

With that, I got out of the barrack with the supply on my Pip-Boy inventory. Camp Searchlight wasn't that far from there. It was not as close to Mojave Outpost and Primm but wasn't exactly as far as between Mojave Outpost and New vegas alone.

Probably, by walking, it'd take me around three hours or so, which meant I needed to rest at Searchlight before returning to Mojave Outpost. Well, I might be able to stop at Nipton for food or something, it wasn't that far from Mojave Outpost.

I headed downhill from the outpost, and eventually turned right, heading straight to Nipton. As far as I remembered, that was the only way to head to Searchlight, unless I remembered that there was another route.