Tabitha

==Background==
Tabitha is a former commander of the [[nightkin]] of the [[Unity]]. Following the fall of the Master, she and her kin wandered the wasteland for over a century. In the course of her travels, she found a Mr Handy designated [[Rhonda]], who became her constant companion and aide. She was responsible for saving several super mutants from suffering at human hands, including [[Mean Sonofabitch]] back in [[New California]].<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Do you know how he got away from the NCR?"''<br/>[[Klamath Bob]]: ''"Turned out some of them "Night Kids" - whatever you call those sneaky Super Mutant types - got in and busted him out. I guess somebody named "Tabitha" led the bunch that freed him. Don't know much more than that."''<br/>([[Klamath Bob's dialogue]])</ref>

The mutants arrived at [[Black Mountain]] around [[Timeline#2275|2275]]. Although her [[Stealth Boy]]-induced dissociative personality disorder was kept stable by Rhonda, the Mr Handy suffered catastrophic damage at Black Mountain and went into hibernation mode.<ref>[[Rhonda]]: "''Thank you very much. My internal clock says it's been 6 years, 52 days, 40 minutes, and 13 seconds since I last spoke to her.''"</ref> Her state deteriorated over time. Marcus attempted to distract her with a journal project, however, the plan backfired when Tabitha realized the terminal was part of the radio station at Black Mountain and would allow her to broadcast her own words on the airwaves.<ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#Marcus made me type this!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, Marcus made me type this!]]: ''"The leader of this community, Marcus, said I should start keeping a journal to get my mind off of Rhonda. He also said I might find something interesting inside this stupid old building. What could possibly be interesting here? The only think that works in here is this junky old terminal."''</ref><ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#It's a radio station!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, It's a radio station!]]: ''"It's amazing! This place is a radio station! If we can get it repaired, we can broadcast music across the wastes, just like Rhonda and I used to listen to. Ah Rhonda, how I wish you hadn't gone away. I asked all of the mutants here for help, but none of them could do anything for you. Which makes me doubt they can fix this place..."''</ref> Within a week of fixing the radio and entering the radio business, her personality split into Tabitha and ersatz-Rhonda, convincing the second-generation super mutants she was a prophet.<ref name="Neil1">[[Courier]]: "''How did Tabitha end up in control?''"
<br/>[[Neil]]: "''For years, Black Mountain was a peaceful community. Its leader, Marcus, broadcast an invitation to Mutants throughout the wasteland. That's how I found Black Mountain. So did others, most of them second generation Mutants. Marcus welcomed everyone - that was his mistake. The community ended up being mostly second gen - not very bright, but easy to influence. Fine, until the Nightkin came along, led by Tabitha... In a week she had most of the second-gens thinking she was some kind of prophet - and that she should be broadcasting her "truth," not Marcus.	 Marcus saw what was coming and decided to leave before things got out of hand. He smashed the radio and left to found Jacobstown.''"</ref> Gentle attempts to coax her out of the radio building failed.<ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#On the air!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, One the air!]]: ''"The radio station is fixed, and we've begun sending our message out into the desert. Marcus thinks I spend too much time in here, but what does a first gen know? Rhonda says they're just one step up from dumb dumbs, and I agree."''</ref>

The situation only deteriorated from there. As the nightkin and second-generation mutants clashed with Marcus' fellow first generation super mutants, he found himself unable to broker a peace. Rather than aggravate the conflict, he chose to leave and found another community in 2279.<ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#The elite!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, The elite!]]: ''"There was a fight in the yard today between some of us and the first gens. Marcus made a speech about how we need to work together, but why should we? We were the master's favorites! We don't need their help. Rhonda says we'd be better off without them."''</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What makes this a "dangerous place?""''<br/>[[Neil]]: ''"You must've heard her radio broadcasts? Though why a human would follow her invitation here is beyond me... unless you didn't listen very closely. The voice on the radio belongs to Tabitha, the "supreme commander" of Black Mountain - or, as she calls it, the "State of Utobitha." She took control of this place almost two years ago. The Super Mutants here do whatever she says - and she says humans are to be killed on sight."''<br/>([[Neil's dialogue]])</ref> This left Tabitha free to implement her utopian project: The State of Utobitha, complete with [[Black Mountain Radio|its own radio station]], broadcasting a rather peculiar (insane and rambling) radio message throughout the wasteland, once the radio transmitter that Marcus smashed on his way out was repaired.<ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#Alone at last!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, Alone at last!]]: ''"Marcus and the others left today. Finally, we have the whole place to ourselves! No more listening to lectures about what we can and can't say on the air. The airwaves will be free!''<br/><br/>''Now Rhonda and I can host our own radio show like we've been planning. I don't know why Marcus always refused to let us do it before. He always started getting real nervous when I told him what Rhonda thought about things. Rhonda says he was afraid she was too smart to control.''<br/><br/>''Anyway, this is the start of a new era! The only downside is most of the dumb dumbs chose to stay."''</ref>  [[Raul Tejada]] was instrumental in restoring the radio. The [[ghoul]] mechanic from [[Mexico]] was captured by the nightkin and used as a slave to repair anything and everything around the complex, under the constant threat of execution. Of course, it was always delayed by 24 hours in order to have him fix up whatever was broken at the time.<ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#Safe!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, Safe!]]: ''"I finally got Raul to finish installing the security measures on my door. Now I can have all the privacy I want.''<br/><br/>''Just in case I have a dumb dumb moment, I've placed the spare key under the stairs behind my building. No one ever goes back there, so it should be safe from discovery."''</ref><ref>[[Black Mountain terminals#Lucky!|Black Mountain terminals; Terminal, Lucky!]]: ''"Great news! A ghoul entered our camp today who has experience fixing machines! He seems to really like it here, so I hope he can stay long enough to fix Rhonda.''<br/><br/>''Weird, Rhonda just asked me why she would need fixing. She has a point. What was I thinking?"''</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"You say Marcus smashed the radio. Not very well, apparently?"''<br/>[[Neil]]: ''"Heh. There's a sad story behind that. Marcus smashed it just fine, but while we were gone some Ghoul named Raul came along. Tabitha turned him into her personal mechanic. A slave, really. See, if I'd been standing down here, I could've warned him before it was too late."''<br/>([[Neil's dialogue]])</ref>

With Black Mountian Radio was on the air again, Tabitha began broadcasting to the ears of anyone with a radio and would start a 24/7 broadcast of propaganda and anti-[[human]] sentiment. Unsurprisingly, this has fully worked against Tabitha's best efforts and is now common opinion among Mojave wastelanders that static would be better listening than Black Mountain's current block of programming.<ref>[[Mr. New Vegas]]: ''"Listeners have been unable to pick up radio broadcasts from Black Mountain recently. Most are calling the static, quote, a welcome improvement."''<br/>([[Mr. New Vegas' dialogue]])</ref> While the Black Mountian Radio was broadcasting again, thankfully Raul's repairs couldn't fix the range the Black Mountain Radio once had and could only broadcast to the surrounding area in the [[Mojave Wasteland]].<ref>In-Game radio reach</ref>