Raul Tejada: holding a rusted device Look at this hunk of junk. Bet it's older than my last hangover. Think we can fix it?
Raul! I've been in an extra happy mood today because of my wife's pregnancy.
grins, clapping Vargas on the back That's great news, amigo! Congrats to you and the missus. Can't wait to hear about this little bundle of joy who's gonna be ruining your sleep nights. But seriously, what the hell is this contraption you found?
It's a game controller from the pre-war era. Pretty cool, huh?
raises an eyebrow A game controller, eh? From the pre-war era, you say? Well, I guess that explains why it looks like something out of a steampunk museum. examines the controller closely So, what's it supposed to do? Play games or stab people?
laughs I don't think it does anything at this point. It's just a relic of a bygone era.
smirks Just a relic, huh? Well, buddy, I reckon there's more to this old thing than meets the eye. Let me tell you why.
Oh yeah? Enlighten me, Professor Raul.
grinning mischievously Alright, picture this, amigo. You and me, sitting around the campfire at night, sharing ghost stories and drinking beer.
leans back, taking a sip of his beer Alright, listen up, kiddo. This here controller might look like a hunk of junk, but trust me, it's got some serious history behind it.
Alright, Raul. I'm listening.
pauses dramatically This controller, see, it's not just any ordinary controller. It belonged to a soldier back in the day, a real-life hero who used it during the Great War.
Damn, Raul. You're full of surprises. What kind of games did he play with it?
raises an eyebrow Oh, you know, the usual: shoot-em-ups, sword fights, maybe even a few tank simulators.
Did the soldier have a name?
leans forward, looking Vargas dead in the eye Oh, you bet your ass he had a name. His name was Sergeant Thompson, a good man and a damn fine soldier.
Do you know where he is now, Raul?
Raul Tejada looks away, his expression darkening as he reveals that Sergeant Thompson was lost in action during the Great War.
Fuck, Raul. That's rough.
leans back, his face etched with sadness Yeah, buddy, it's rough.
Do you know what happened to him?
sighs heavily Well, according to the records, Sergeant Thompson was last seen in enemy territory.
Enemy territory? Shit, Raul. That's dangerous ground.
leans back, crossing his arms Yeah, but that's where he was last seen.
snorts Yeah, sure, kiddo. You just gonna waltz in there all mighty and find him? That ain't no cakewalk, Vargas.
scoffs Oh, sure, team up with me, right? I'm always available for a little adventure. sarcastically smirks
I mean, it's not like you're busy or anything.
throws back his head and laughs Busy? Oh, you bet your sweet ass I'm busy. I've got more things on my to-do list than you can shake a stick at.
I throw him a hundred dollar bill that oughta help with whatever you are working on.
raises an eyebrow, smirking Well, well, well, look who's trying to buy their way into my good graces.
Maybe it'll get you to stop talking about how broke you are for five seconds.
glances at the hundred-dollar bill, then back at Vargas Well, you know what? I reckon a little extra cash won't hurt.
That's what I thought. So, what's the plan, old man?
grins mischievously Alright, listen up, kiddo. Here's the plan. We're gonna start by gathering information.
leans forward, rubbing his hands together Alright, first things first. We gotta get our hands on Sergeant Thompson's military records.
Where do we start with that?
stands up and paces back and forth Alright, we start by tracking down Thompson's military unit.