Ulysses

"The day I set my flag down, it'll be over my body or over a nation I believe in."

- Ulysses

Ulysses is a courier for the Mojave Express in 2281. One of seven hired by Victor to carry strange packages to the Strip North Gate, Ulysses was originally supposed to deliver the Platinum Chip - a task left to the Courier after Ulysses' mysterious disappearance.

Background
Ulysses was once a successful Bighorner rancher at Wolfhorn Ranch, but he recently abandoned his Ranch and is now nowhere to be seen. He is known to have some sort of a relationship with the Courier, but the nature of this relationship is unknown.

Some time before the events of Dead Money, Christine was trapped by Father Elijah in the Big Empty, where she was subjected to torturous medical experimentation. She was rescued by Ulysses, who said that he knew Elijah, and encouraged Christine to continue her pursuit of him, because he knew what it was like to search for someone who had such a major impact on his life. This event can possibly be seen during the events of Old World Blues, although the conditions for this are currently unknown.

In Honest Hearts, Joshua Graham comments that when he heard a courier was coming, he had expected it to be Ulysses. He says that he had heard stories of one of the Frumentarii traveling as a courier and stalking the land in search of enemies of Caesar, although he says that he finds it unlikely that Ulysses would associate himself with the Happy Trails Caravan Company.

Just before the events of Fallout: New Vegas began, Ulysses was at the Mojave Express in Primm receiving a delivery order. He was to deliver the Platinum Chip, a job he was about to accept until he saw the Courier's name down next on the list. He asked Johnson Nash if the Courier's name was for real, as if he'd expected the Courier to be dead. Nash informed him that the Courier was still kicking, and Ulysses only said, "No, let 'Courier Six' carry the package", as if he expected the Mojave Wasteland to finish the Courier off, and then left without another word.

At some point before the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, Ulysses contacts the Courier via radio transmission, promising to explain the incident in Primm in exchange for one final job. Depending on how Dead Money ended, the ending slides say that word would eventually reach both Christine and Dog of some sort of a battle in the future. The battle is said to take place at the Divide, "beneath the torn skies and the old world flag", between the two couriers, "each carrying a message for the other".

Appearances
Ulysses was planned to appear in Fallout: New Vegas, but was ultimately cut from the final game. He is referenced repeatedly in Dead Money, and in two of the characters' endings, his appearance in a future add-on has been confirmed. Ulysses is also mentioned by Joshua Graham in Honest Hearts, who claims he may work for Caesar. He is set to make an appearance in Old World Blues, and is the main focus of Lonesome Road.

Behind the scenes

 * Ulysses is derived from Ulixes, the Latin name for Odysseus. Odysseus was a Greek king who was most famous for his epic voyage, as well as being known for his cunning and deceit.
 * Odysseus is also theorized to derive from the word odyssomai, literally: "to hate", which could be taken to further imply a sour relationship between him and the Courier.
 * Ulysses was originally supposed to be a companion in Fallout: New Vegas, but was cut from the final version of the game and now only appears in the playing cards that came with the Collector's Edition. According to Chris Avellone, "he [...] was a complicated character in terms of some of the hooks into the storyline".