The Supreme Commander of the Terran Starship Command (TSC) stood in his office, staring out the window at the dark Earth. With a practiced eye, he could tell the Olympus, formerly the alien Mothership Zeta, was hovering high over the Atlantic. From here, he could just make out the lights of Megaton and Rivet City. "So dark," he thought. In Vault 101, he had seen pictures of the East Coast before the war. How brightly light it used to be, so full of life and industry now dark and almost lifeless. "We'll going to change that," he said himself.
He turned as Commodore Harkin entered the commanders' office. He noticed that Harkin seemed more relaxed then he had been lately. The war with the Western Brotherhood of Steel had been a strain on everyone but for The Greyhound it had been hardest of all. The Brotherhood label of war criminal and having a large bounty put on his head had just added to his stress.
"Are they away?" He asked as he took his seat.
"Yes Commander, the last Brotherhood airship pulled away from Fort Independence about 30 minutes ago. Elder Lyons scouts and Scribes are checking the fort over now," Harkin reported as he sat down as well.
"The Brotherhood Outcast had better not have left any nasty surprises behind. They were very unhappy that we would not let them take all the technology they had salvaged through the years," he said.
"If the High Elder himself had not ordered them to come home they probably would never have left. Besides, they had more salvage then they could possibly take with them. Thank God Elder Lyons was able to convince them to obey the order and return to the west," Harkin said.
"With things getting worse between the Brotherhood of Steel and the New California Republic, they need all the soldiers and tech they can get," he said. "Thankfully, we don't have that problem. Did you get a chance to read my proposals to the Council? What do you think?"
"Commander, they are very… radical. They will certainly increase the size of our government. I am also certain Brigadier Karpov will not like your plans for Vault 87. But I think any debate should be held in the Council Chamber," Harkin said, clearly not wanting to talk about it in the Commander's office.
"Of course, we best get going anyway. It's time for the monthly update," he said as he got up from his set and headed to the exit. As he neared the door of his office, Clover stirred from her place near the door.
He had noticed that Clover had been unusually quiet since Irons Chapter of the BoS had tried to kill him at Rivet City. She had barely survived the attack, though her injuries had not been as severe as Naokos Kurosawa had been. He had purchased Clover from the slavers of Paradise Falls when his reputation had been less than… stellar. She had been with him ever since, as bodyguard, and rarely, lover. Even on the Olympus, she was armed. Todays mix was a Chinese Officer's Shock Sword and a .32 pistol, both souvenirs of the Commanders adventures in the wasteland.
She fell in behind him without a word as he and Harkin walked the short way to the Council Chamber. The Chamber was in a large, round room near the Bridge of the Olympus. When the Council was in session, the walls and floor would become a giant display, showing the outside of the Olympus. The Earth could be seen on the displays. As he entered, he noticed that the other members of the Council were already seated. He was not used to being the last one to show up, that meant the Council was eager to begin.
After taking their seats, Harkin said. "The Council is now in session, let's have the monthly reports. Dr. Nylus?"
"The Ion Cannon is fully repaired and operational, however adjusting the power settings has proven difficult. It is not designed to provide orbital fire support for ground troops but to destroy entire cities. I'm not sure when we will have a reliable way of adjusting the power," Said the Head Scientist of the Technology Department of the TSC.
"As far as the new Aegis power armors, development has again been delayed due to a lack of trained researchers and resources. I had hoped simply to upgrade Enclave Hellfire armor but the Council wants TSC power armor to have a unique look. It will be years before the design is finished and the necessary production facilities can be built."
"Several of our Hammerhead Power Armor were destroyed in the fighting with the Western Brotherhood, and we lack the ability to build replacements. In addition, many of our best technicians are is Russian, helping to install the new power modules into the Soviet Hammerhead Armors. They should be finished with their work in another month or so."
"My assistant Nam has recommended upgrading older T-45d armors as a stopgap until the new armor is finished. She estimates a suit of reconditioned T-45f armor would be slightly better than T-51b armor. This would give me more time to work on Aegis and allow more time for key technologies to mature." Dr. Nylus said.
The Head of the TSC Army, Brigadier Karpov asked. "How much of an improvement and how soon could they be put into production?"
"By using Enclave servos in the joints, Nam has estimated the T-45f armor would have greatly improved agility. In addition, some cosmetic improvements would also be made to make it more comfortable too wear and better protect exposed systems. Another improvement would be to use a cooler power source to solve the problem with suit overheating. By modernizing the suits sensors and some software improvements, an increase in perception and weapon targeting can also be achieved. Armor rating would only increase slightly but radiation protection could be greatly improved."
"As far as how soon… maybe 6 months before we could see production. The timetable would depend on resources and the availability of the armors themselves. Nam is talking about a rebuild suit of armor not new construction. Some of the parts will have to be custom built in the lab till a dedicated workshop can be constructed."
The Council was quiet as this news was digested. "I like it," Karpov said. "I want as much armor as I can get for my troops, rebuilt armor now is better than new armor later. Power armor will greatly reduce our losses if we are to expand our area of control."
"Dr. Nadia." Harkin said.
The head of the TSC's Department of Biology began. "We are just about finished figuring out the process for defrosting the people in Cryostasis. We will need to decide when and how many to revive at one time. Some of them have been sleeping for hundreds of years, and they will be very confused on awakening. I recommend a special department be created to handle this problem and help the sleepers integrate into our society."
"Thanks to contact with Dr. Barrows in Underworld and his research, we now know how much radiation is good for a ghoul. Excessive radiation is part what causes a ghoul to go feral, so being able to advise them on what's a safe amount is a big help to them. A cure however is still a long way off."
"As for Sally, her aging process appears to have returned to normal. We have no information on what the Aliens were doing to her or why, that information was deleted and we've had no luck reconstructing it," Dr. Nadia said.
"It's time for Sally to get back to school and make some friends. Time away from the Olympus would be good for her," The Commander said.
"Commander, who will be responsible for her and where will she live?" Harkin asked.
"She'll live with me, I've got plenty of room at my apartment in Poseidonis and the school is nearby. I can have the Protectrons watch over her when I'm gone," The Commander said.
"Commander, with all due respect, that would not be a good idea," Civilian Affairs Coordinator Ayumi Tanaka said. "You living with an underage girl who is not related to you could be misinterpreted. In addition, it is a well-known fact that she has hero worship for you. One wrong word from her and your reputation would be seriously damaged."
The Commander just stared at her, his mouth was moving but nothing was coming out. Behind him, he could hear Clover trying not to laugh. "Don't you worry honey, I'll keep her safe from the sex crazed Commander here," Clover said.
"Clover, that's not helping!" The Commander said outraged. "I'm not a perv or sex crazed damn it!" Clover just winked at him and then went back to watching the door to the Council Chamber.
"Commander, do you have anyone who could take her in?" Tanaka asked softly.
"Let me think… I could ask Amata. Since Vault 101 joined the TSC, people there have been nicer about me visiting. I'll ask Amata next time I see her," The Commander said. "Other than her… Maybe Sarah Lyons? However, I don't think she would have the time, what with her father retiring soon. As far as whom to defrost? Lets wait till we're better organized."
"Coordinator Tanaka, your report." Harkin said.
"Our relations with the wasteland have improved now that the war is over. I have sent out diplomatic feelers to the major tribes near the DC Wasteland. The response has been mixed but generally positive. I've got a good feeling about the tribes of Richmond and the Coal Miners of West Virginia." Tanaka said.
"Coal Miners?" Brigadier Karpov asked. "They don't like outsiders. Why are they being so friendly now?"
"They've being driven out of the northern half of West Virginia by the Wildmen and Troggs of the Pitt. Their new leader is young and intelligent. He wants an end to their hardships and allying with a strong power will help his people survive," Tanaka said.
"What more do we know about them?" the Commander asked.
"They have turned many abandoned coal mines into impressive fortresses and primitive factories, their mortality rates are better than in the Capital Wastes. They do not let their woman fight; to them a womans job is to take care of the home and to have as many children as possible. By the time one of them reaches thirty, she has had fourteen children, though on average only four survive to be adults, and three husbands. Infant mortality, mutations and a hard life fighting mutant creatures, Raiders and Abominations takes a toll on them. They also have a higher birth rate for males then females, I think their new leader is afraid that they may be inbreeding too much. Their also loud, boisterous and have a strong religious faith. The Coal Miners have a large population in comparison to the rest of the wasteland. In exchange for better weapons, water purifiers and meds plus letting their young men join the Army, they'll pledge themselves to our cause," Tanaka said in a somewhat dramatic flourish.
"Inbreeding too much? Any inbreeding is dangerous to the gene pool! What kind of idiots are they? Swamp folk?" Dr. Nadia said, outrage clearly written on her face.
"Ah no! That is why they need us. So their men can find wives outside the tribe." Tanaka said. "I'm still working on explaining the differences between how they live and us."
"What about Richmond?" The Commander asked changing the subject before Tanaka got too upset. She hated making mistakes, and had yet to stop blaming herself for Rivet City.
"Well, I feel that with more time most of Virginia will welcome us. If we can show them improvements to their lives fairly quickly, we should have little problem," Tanaka finished. "Our stock pile of water purifiers will be a big help to my efforts."
"Archangel?" Harkin asked. Also known as Schmidt, he is the head of TSC Intelligence.
"Commander, I have only a few things to add at this time. The most important is that I have received word that the NCR has won the Battle of Hoover Dam. No thanks to General Oliver though. The NCR Rangers won the battle for him. Losses were heavy on both sides and the NCR has only secured half of Hoover Dam, with the Legion encamped of the other side. I feel certain there will be another war in the near future. "
"It also appears that the Brotherhood Outcast and what's left of Irons Chapter are not heading back to California. Surveillance monitored an order for them to divert to Chicago and to start rebuilding the Mid-Western BoS. That puts them closer to us than I would like."
"Also my people are ready to overthrow the hardliners of the Enclave anytime the Council orders. I've been working on organizing a resistance movement within the Enclave since before I left to join the TSC," Schmidt said calmly.
The Council was stunned, such a move could lead to war with the Enclave and the TSC had barely survived fighting the BoS! Moreover, many of the people in the TSC still had friends and family in the Enclave. Schmidt just sat calmly, watching the Supreme Commander. He knew his position within the TSC rested on what the Commander thought. If he was nervous, he hid it well.
The Commander just stared at Archangel, his mind racing. "If it fails, could it be traced back to us?" Was all the Commander asked.
Schmidt let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding. "It won't fail. The leadership is in disarray, and both civilian and military moral is at an all-time low. Now is the perfect time to move against them."
"Let's save the debate on that till the end of the monthly reports." Harkin interrupted. With no protests, Harkin turned to Karpov. "Brigadier?"
It took Brigadier Karpov a few seconds to pull his attention from Schmidt and to turn to his notes. "We estimate it will take a year to rebuild the Army and Marine Corp to a point where we can go on the offensive again, if we need too." As he said this, he looked meaningfully at Archangel.
"Brigadier, what of my idea for how to deal with Vault 87?" The Commander asked.
"Sir. It's a suicide mission! Sending a Thunderfist team into that hell just to plant Nuclear Demolition Charges is… very risky, Sir," Karpov said. "We should just hit the Super Mutants with the Ion Gun and be done with it."
"I'll tell you the same thing I told the Commander when he asked me that same question. The devastation from such a strike would cover 350 square miles and certainly destroy Little Lamplight and who knows how many smaller towns." Dr. Nylus said. "Plus the debris would be radioactive, if only for a short time. So as much as I would like to see the Ion Gun used it's just not practical at this time."
"Commandos are the only way and I'll be leading them in myself. Brigadier Karpov, please select the best soldiers we have to go with me," The Commander said. That statement set off a firestorm of protest. In no way would such an operation be carried out with the Commander leading it, reputation or no.
"Sir, the Black Guard will never allow you to go on that mission. It's their job to protect you, even from yourself. You're just too important to the TSC," Harkin said. The Commander felt Clover put her hands gently on his shoulders. He could feel her hands shaking. "Fine, then who will go?" He said, giving up for now.
"Sir, we both know who is the only person qualified to lead this mission. Lieutenant Kurosawa is the most experienced commando we have left. I'm sure she will see it gets done, no matter what," Karpov said.
That is what I am afraid of, the Commander thought to himself.
()
The Commander stood under the hot water of his shower, letting the heat wash away his stress. The great thing about the Olympus is it never ran out of hot water. The Council meeting had dragged on for hours. He had gotten almost everything he had proposed plus a little extra. However, no matter what he said the destruction of Vault 87 was out of his hands.
The Council had voted to go ahead with Schmidt plan for the Enclave, though by no means unanimously. Dr. Nylus plan for the T-45f did get full approval though; anything he wanted for the project was green lighted. Expanding the government by adding the Departments of Industry, Agriculture, Education and Transportation took forever to debate. He had gotten them, now the Council needed to decide who would run them and what powers and budgets they would receive. Planning for the invasion of Virginia was also begun but that move would not happen for at least a year. Giving a very happy Tanaka, more time for diplomacy.
No, what scared him was that they had only 6 weeks to get ready for the attack on Vault 87. Recon had detected an increase in the number of Super Mutants in the Capital Waste. TSC Intelligence best guess was that Vault 87 FEV chambers were up and running again. The Commander did not know what to think, he had been inside Vault 87 and he knew its Forced Evolution Virus tanks were empty. So what was going on in there? Therefore, the attack had to take place soon, before there were too many Super Mutants.
He heard the door to the bathroom open, at first he thought maybe it was Clover sneaking in but then he saw purple hair and knew who it was.
"Hey, give a girl some room," Naoko Kurosawa said. As he made room for her, he could not help but admire her tight, muscular body. The physical requirements for the Thunderfist kept going up, mostly in the area of upper body strength. Naoko worked hard to stay fit and it showed.
The Commander realized that she had turned around and was looking at him. He felt himself reacting to her presence and his fatigue falling away. She just stood there with an impish smile on her face, and then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, deeply.