G.I. Blues

G.I. Blues is a side quest $$

Orris the bodyguard
The first request from The King is to hire the bodyguard named Orris, and see why he's so popular with the local tourists.

Hiring him the first time
The King will supply the Courier with the necessary 200 Caps in order to hire Orris, who can be found among the other bodyguards in Freeside, near the north entrance. The competing guards offer protection services to incoming tourists of the town. The King instructs the Courier to pose as a tourist, hire Orris, and investigate his suspicions.

Once hired, he will boast about his reputation as a bodyguard and will give a quick tour while progressing through Freeside. He tells the player character to follow him closely without sidetracking, giving quick rundowns of the town's notable locations. He will first explain the Old Mormon Fort, the first destination encountered. Continuing through the gate, he will guide the Courier past King's School of Impersonation, the Atomic Wrangler Casino, and the Silver Rush. Finally, the the Strip North Gate will come into view, the desired destination of the tour.

Right before the tour concludes, Orris will insist on taking a detour, sensing some "thugs" ahead. Following the detour, he suddenly runs ahead and shoots his gun at four thugs waiting to ambush the party. He will then reassure the Courier that there's "nothing to worry about," and will continue towards the conclusion of the tour. The option to further examine the sudden turn of events is provided by doing one of the following:
 * With an Intelligence of 6, the Courier can question why Orris fired three shots from his gun while there were four thugs present. If successful, Orris will claim that his precision allowed him to shoot two thugs with one bullet. If the Courier claims that he is lying, he will suggest that they keep the theory to themselves.
 * Orris' illegitimacy can be threatened following a Barter check of 50. If successful, he will pay 348 caps. If it fails, he will reticently reject the threat and will suggest finishing up the tour.
 * With a Medicine skill of 30, the Courier can examine the bodies of the thugs. If successful, the player character will determine they are merely pretending to be dead. Attacking the thugs while they feign death will cause both Orris and the thugs to become hostile.

Once the Courier has acquired proof that Orris is a fraud, they can report their findings back to The King. He will tell them that Orris will be pulled out of the streets "when no one's looking." Now that the Courier has proven to be reliable, The King will task them with another job that is a "little bit more important."

If the Courier chooses not to follow Orris and ignored his detour by going straight to the Strip's entrance, Orris will run to the Courier and say the "thugs" were not harmless after all and that he is not often mistaken.

Hiring him the second time
There are two possible ways in which Orris can be hired a second time:
 * Not investigating Orris' con further by either neglecting to examine the bodies or failing the required Intelligence and Medicine checks.
 * Encountering Freeside thugs along the way. Once they are killed, Orris will tell the player character to be more careful and will return to his original spot.

If no evidence is found regarding Orris' business practices, reporting his legitimacy back to The King will not satisfy him. The King will instruct the Courier to hire Orris again to investigate further, but this time he will not provide the required 200 cap payment. Once rehired, Orris will lead the player character directly to the final destination of the tour. He will claim that his men, the four thugs from earlier, saw the Courier "being friendly" with The King and he will turn hostile, forcing a fight with him and the thugs. Attacking and killing Orris instead of hiring him carries no penalty and still allows the quest to be completed. After they have been dealt with, report back to The King. Shrugging off the error with Orris, The King will task the Courier with another job.

Investigate the NCR attacks
The King will claim that the town's locals have resented the sheer number of newcomers since the Strip was built. The newcomers, which are mostly made up of NCR citizens, in turn, grew tired of being resented. And so, instances of violence between the locals and the NCR citizens have occurred. Some of The King's friends have fallen victim to this conflict and he asks the Courier to investigate who caused the attacks. The King's friends are located in the Old Mormon Fort, currently recovering from the attack.

The King's Friends
The victims will be found in the tent to the right of the fort's entrance. once you enter the fort. Speak to Roy, who wishes to be left alone with his friend and fellow victim. Mentioning The King will change his attitude, and he will then want to reveal everything he can to find their attackers. He will say that they were attacked at night after they had spent their caps at the Atomic Wrangler. They ended up in the squatter side of town, where they engaged in an argument against two "big guys" after asking them if they were locals. He managed to only get a quick glance, as he found himself face down in the dirt for the duration of the fight. He will prompt the Courier to talk to his friend Wayne, the other victim, who saw more action than he did. As Wayne suffered more from the fight, he has trouble remembering what he saw. At first, he will claim that the men were "better dressed" than most Freesiders. Upon further thought, he recalls that one of the guys uttered the name "Lou Tenant." Roy will correct him, saying he likely heard "Lieutenant."

If the player character questions Wayne's story by asking, "You're not hiding something from me, are you?", fame will be lost in Freeside. However, if the Courier tells him that "Every bit helps. Thanks" the player character will gain fame.

Return to The King and inform him that his friends were attacked by soldiers. He will ask the Courier to look around the squatter areas where the "NCR folk hang" so that he can clear up the rumor that the NCR is taking over much of New Vegas. He will also ask the Courier to talk to Julie Farkas, who might have some information about the presence of the NCR in Freeside.

The NCR
The Courier is tasked with finding out why increasing numbers of NCR citizens are entering the town. Travel to the squatter areas, where NCR missionaries can be found.

Talking to the missionaries, they will ask the player character if they are a citizen of the NCR. By claiming NCR citizenship, they will administer a quick test to "verify citizenship status." The three questions are as follows: Correct answers to the questions:
 * Question 1 - Who is the most popular NCR President of all time?
 * Question 2 - What was the original name of the capital of the NCR?
 * Question 3 - What animal is on the NCR Flag?
 * Question 1 - President Tandi.
 * Question 2 - Shady Sands.
 * Question 3 - Two-Headed Bear.

If the test is failed the first time, it can be retaken, though the missionary will have doubts. Alternatively, the Courier can discover the location by passing a Speech check of 50 or to bribe the missionary with 100 caps by passing a Barter check of 70, depending on which missionary is being spoken to. Note the caps will not be taken from the inventory, as merely the offer of the bribe is enough to convince the missionary to give the password. Once successful, the missionary will share the location of the soup kitchen and password ("Hope") to enter it. Alternatively, the password can be pickpocketed off of the missionaries, without a loss to Karma. Rotface, a street ghoul knowledgeable about Freeside, can also be bribed for both information on the soldiers and the password. He will sell the information to the Courier for 150 caps or for 50 caps, after passing a 25 Barter check. The 70 Barter check with the missionary will provide XP at the expense of caps. Conversely, if the 25 Barter check with Rotface is successful, the Courier can still elect not to pay, garnering XP without spending additional caps.

The NCR soup kitchen is located at the train station area in the northwest corner of Freeside. The path toward the soup kitchen will be difficult to follow, as it will be somewhat hidden by rubble. The entrance will be guarded by two NCR troopers in casual attire who will ask for the password in order to enter the soup kitchen. The Courier can ask the trooper on the left for permission to speak to the Major with a Speech check of 30.

Once inside, talk to Major Elizabeth Kieran, the administrator of the relief effort. She will be at the front counter and will give free food upon speaking with her. If the Courier asks her why she only serves food to NCR citizens, she will say that it isn't a "pleasant topic of conservation." If Julie Farkas was spoken to earlier, mentioning her name will result in Kieran revealing more information.

Conflict with the Kings
The additional information will shed light on an earlier conflict with the Kings. Kieran will claim that she sent an envoy to The King before, offering to coordinate the relief effort. However, the envoy returned brutally beaten. Due to this, Kieran was ordered by her superiors to scrap the project. She continued the effort anyway, but with fewer supplies to distribute and therefore, can only distribute food to NCR citizens and not the rest of Freeside.

Upon returning to The King with this new information, Pacer, The King's righthand man, will interfere and speak to the Courier before they can approach The King. Pacer will claim that Kieran's side of the story is a lie, and it is nothing to bother The King with. He claims the envoy they sent was more of a "spy" that "wasn't tough enough to last in Freeside." From here, the player character can respond in one of several ways:
 * Demand caps from him for your silence and Pacer will pay 200 caps. With a Barter skill of 50, he will give an additional 100 caps.
 * Ignore him and tell The King anyway.
 * Shake him down for 200 caps, and tell The King anyway. There is no Karma or Reputation loss for this, and Pacer will not turn hostile.

Any of these options will lead to Pacer leaving the premises, saying that he has "business" to take care of. The King can then be informed that the NCR is distributing food to NCR citizens only. This will lead The King to conclude about the "goons" attacking locals. He will be surprised if you mention the envoy who was sent to talk to him, apparent that he had no knowledge of such an occurrence. Just as The King is piecing together the evidence, a Kings gang member will interrupt the conversation. He will say that a shootout between Pacer and the NCR has erupted in the train station. The King will ask you to defuse the situation right away.

Additional notes

 * During the NCR citizenship test, the missionary does not comment on whether the answers are correct or not until the entire test is completed.
 * Finding the soup kitchen may prove difficult if relying on the compass marker. Approaching it from town guided by just the compass will display the reticle at the correct location without actually being there. To reach the location:
 * Begin at the doors to the Silver Rush, cross the street and enter the small destroyed building in which Bill Ronte would be found.
 * Take the door located on the ground floor. On the other side, head north, and then turn left under the motorway bridge pillars.
 * Next to the train tracks, there is a destroyed car. Turn left and follow the road heading southwest, parallel to the motorway bridge pillars. The building will be on the left-hand side.
 * If the failed envoy is not mentioned to The King, the situation between the NCR and Pacer cannot be defused and it will end violently. This could be a result of choosing not to inform The King when speaking to him before the Pacer incident, or the Courier may not have any knowledge of the envoy if Julie Farkas is not mentioned when speaking with Major Kieran.

Conclusion
Proceeding to the train station, nearby the NCR soup kitchen, deceased King's gang members are scattered on the ground. Pacer hiding behind a bus stop shelter, receiving heavy fire from NCR troopers. If The King was informed of the envoy sent by Major Kieran, the Courier can holster their weapons or drop their fists and approach the soldiers. Major Kieran will be standing behind the NCR troopers. Tell her that The King is willing to cooperate. Kieran will be apprehensive at first, once again reiterating the conflict with the envoy. The Courier can inform her that The King was not responsible for the violence against the envoy and Kieran will agree to work with the Kings. She tells her troopers to stand down, and the conflict ends peacefully. Upon returning to The King with news of the resolution, he will say that "it's time for a little more talkin' and a little less fightin'."

On the other hand, if the Courier does not, or cannot, inform The King of the envoy, the same interruption will take place during the conversation with him, and The King will instruct the Courier to "head to the supply drop building and see if Pacer needs help". Pacer can then be found at the bus stop near the ruined store where the handouts were taking place. Upon arrival, Pacer can be approached and shaken down for his remaining 150 caps with a 50 Barter check. Pacer will run away and the player character will have to fight the troops. NCR infamy and negative Karma will be gained for killing them. Returning to The King with news that the situation ended this way results in The King's relief that it has been resolved, gaining Freeside fame.

The King's favor
Upon completing all of The King's requests, he will offer a one-time favor from him. The options for the favor are:
 * Free entrance to the Strip. With The King's word, Ralph of Mick & Ralph's will forge a fake passport for free.
 * Permission to join the Kings, giving a Kings outfit and free haircuts from Sergio, the Kings' hairstylist.
 * 1000 bottle caps.
 * Using the favor later on to clear a matter regarding the Kings' continued violence against the NCR.

One will also be awarded with 1500 Experience Points.

Behind the scenes

 * G.I. Blues is the name of a movie starring Elvis Presley. It is also the name of the soundtrack to the movie, recorded by Elvis.
 * The victims at the Old Mormon Fort are Roy, Wayne, and Farris. Roy Wayne Farris is better known as former WWF/WWE professional wrestler "The Honky Tonk Man" who based his looks and character off of Elvis Presley.
 * The King's line of dialogue "Maybe it's time for a little more talkin' and a little less fightin'" is a reference to the song "A Little Less Conversation" which was written for and recorded by Elvis Presley.

Bugs

 * After hiring Orris, you can encounter a bug where he just stands there pointing his gun instead of shooting the thugs. You can fix this two ways. First, you can kill the thugs yourself which will advance the quest. However, after Orris runs off, he can sometimes die mysteriously before making it back to Freeside's north gate. Second, you can run around the block - from Orris's position, head past the thugs and back on to the main road. Turn right and proceed down the road Orris initially detoured on, then right again, and you'll find yourself at Orris, having circled the building. Run up to Orris and talk to him, using whatever speech options you like, and when you close the dialogue, he will activate again and continue with you to the gate as normal. This bug may be caused by pickpocketing Orris's ammunition, even though he will still have some in his gun. Reloading another save will also fix this bug.
 * When asked to investigate the presence of NCR soldiers in Freeside, if the player doesn't ask Julie Farkas about the NCR before talking to Elizabeth Kieran, you may encounter a bug when asked to back up Pacer in the shootout with the NCR, where Pacer simply runs continuously into a wall with no dialogue options available.
 * If you convince Orris you know the men laying down are alive, saving and loading the save will have them now standing. Attempting communication will have the same result as if they were still laying down. Orris will be waiting for you to catch up to him as if you did not figure out the scam.
 * Sometimes if you look close enough, a Kings member will be standing with the "men who don't look good up ahead". If you attack Orris and the thugs, the member will assist you. After the fight, the member will become stuck in place with an aggressive expression stuck on his face with his gun still drawn. No interactions are possible with the King member at this point.
 * Sometimes after returning to Orris, The King might disappear, making the quest impossible to finish. If this happens, he may be upstairs in his room. In order to get there from the entrance, you must go around the counter, left followed by a right, right at the end of the corridor and up the stairs. Then immediately turn left twice and then right once, right at the Kings gang member after the door and up the stairs. Immediately turn right then left. The second door on the left will be The King's room.
 * When the Kings gang member interrupts The King's conversation, the player might get stuck in the cutscene. The Kings gang member will get stuck, trying to run through Rex. After some time, the gang member will reach the intended spot.
 * When speaking to the mercenaries at the soup kitchen to verify you are an NCR citizen, the last question about what is on the NCR flag (the answer being, of course, a two-headed bear) can yield no correct answers, even if you repeatedly pick the correct one, and thus being unable to verify to them you are an NCR citizen. Also, previous selections in the second question about where the New California Republic was born are not faded.
 * If the player skips right to The Strip and works for Ambassador Crocker, he will ask you to either assassinate Pacer or convince The King to stop the violence to NCR citizens. If the player chooses to assassinate Pacer, after receiving G.I. Blues (having not hired Orris yet), the quest will be failed. The player can still hire Orris but The King will refuse to talk to you, making all further dialogue with him impossible. This means Rex will not be able to become a companion.