The earth began to shake and tremble as the hills all around rolled like water. The blasted field cindered and black was littered with bodies torn to pieces.
The knight removed their helmet and it fell to the ground.
I let out a scream.
I thought I had died at first when I opened my eyes and all I saw was a patch of pure white. But my vision adjusted quickly to the small hospital room that was too clean to be real. Something told me that everything should normally be covered in a thin layer of dirt and dust. But just what, I couldn't quite put my finger on or even remember.
That's when I realized there was something wrong with me.
Effortlessly I ripped my hands and legs free from the metal straps that should have kept me pinned down. I stood up in one fluid motion as my vision began to whirl through spectrum's of light.
Blocks of red and green to ghostly blue and even a strange, pixelated pattern rushed around me before I could even take in the details. Holding my breath, I blinked and everything went back to normal. I stood there for a good ten minutes like that, frozen, unbreathing and feeling just fine. Slowly, I turned in a circle and my heart sank as I took in the small, windowless, and door-less space.
The last thing I could remember…
The Knight standing in the middle of the battlefield. A distant roar that became a thundering echo.
I winced as I let out a painful cry and held my head. I had been there, in that field in that moment. But just why and how, I could not remember, let alone my own name. As if I had not yet existed until that very moment.
But that can't be right.
"Good morning. You have been asleep for quite some time. How do you feel?" A male voice spoke up from everywhere but nowhere.
"Fine." I responded, hands falling to my sides.
"I'm sure you have some questions. Would you like to speak with me?" The voice asked again.
"Yes." I ran my hand along the wall, where my skin cells touched the cool metal surface felt electrified. Visually, a map blossomed before me of the wires and pipes on the other side.
I found where the door and the window were hidden and as I thought it, the door opened and the window became visible.
"Very good. You are picking up on your new abilities quickly." An old man stepped inside. He wore a lab coat with a non threatening sweater and khakis, complete with a neatly trimmed beard. Even though he looked harmless he still made me feel uneasy.
"Do you remember anything prior to now?" He asked as he folded his hands behind his back.
"Not really. Do you know who I am? What happened to me?" I asked back as I began to fidget with the thin paper gown I was in.
"We found you as you were dying up above all alone in the Wasteland. We saved you and I made you better. Unfortunately, we did not know your name." He explained in a calm, steady voice. I tried not to narrow my eyes as I could tell that he was lying. There was a slight uptick in his heartbeat that was so minute I almost did not catch it. Maybe he did know my name but did not want me to know.
Maybe.
"I wasn't always like this." I stated. He just nodded. "Thank you. For saving me." I added after a short pause. He gave me a weird, crinkly smile in return.
"You will be able to pay us back in time. First you need to adjust. Inherently you are still human, but you are a better human. Stronger, smarter, invulnerable to the elements, radiation, and the needs of regular humans. The perfect balance of organic and machine. I hope you aren't offended but this has been a little pet project of mine for a while." His eyes began to shine with a strange eagerness behind his black pupils.
"You keep talking about 'us' and 'we'. Who even are you and where am I?" I asked and winced through the pain in my head.
"You are in the Institute and I am Father."
Several Weeks Ago
Up here the wind was roaring in my ears and stripped at my bare face. Looking down upon the Commonwealth atop the hull of this rusted airship would make anyone's head swell. It was a clear view of the irradiated city and its crumbling facade. Not unlike the view back home. Right now I could make out at least four raider settlements, no wait, five. Five more infestations to clear.
"Agent Furie, where is your location." A familiar gruff male voice spoke through the radio in my ear and attached to the stealth suit. Not a question, but a statement, a demand.
"On top of the ship." I replied blankly. There was a pause, static in my ear.
"That makes sense. Report to the bridge immediately." Maxson barked and then cut the line. Of course, should have figured that was a weird question. I was pretty sure that Maxson went and installed a tracking device into the suit a while ago.
A squire scrubbing the catwalk nearly fell back when I jumped down from the hatch leading to the top of the ship. I chuckled to myself as I walked away, the heels of my boots barely making a thud against the metal.
Elder Maxson had his back to me when I arrived, looking out at the same view.
"The view is better on top of the ship." I spoke up and he barely reacted. Damn, he never even flinched whenever I snuck up on him.
"I'll have to consider that. There is an assignment for you." He turns to face me with his hands clenched steadfast and firm behind his back. Always a magnet of power and authority, with his brow furrowed in anger or thought. I couldn't really tell sometimes.
"Oh, good. I was starting to get bored being in this blimp all day." I tried to sound playful but nothing could ever change the ice in his features.
"You have an assignment. There have been several reports coming in from those in field about an underground organization that has been smuggling Synths out of the commonwealth. They're known as the Railroad and we have reason to believe that they have been engaging in espionage against us as well. Your job will be uprooting their system of safe houses and members by locating and infiltrating their headquarters. We can't have them moving those abominations up and down the Commonwealth and beyond." Maxson explained as he paced around the office.
"Some good old undercover work. Understood." I nodded.
"Read over this report and destroy it. I must warn you to be extremely careful, once you are out on the field, you will be on your own completely. You and I are the only ones who know of this operation." He fixed me with the full force of his stare and for a split second, I could see the care and concern soften his features.
"Careful is my middle name." I winked as I grabbed the thin brown envelope from his hands. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried not to smile.
"Then good luck."
a/n: let me know what you think if you're so inclined. sole survivor will eventually appear
