I wake up to silence. Looking around, I find myself trapped in some kind of container with a glass door separating me from the outside world. Eerie, dim lights are the only way I can see the metal and glass container surrounding me. The world is tainted a light blue, most likely from the artificial light sources. Outside the glass there are more chambers like my own. Some appear empty. But some have shadowed figures within them.

Without warning, there are red lights flashing from above and blaring sirens. The glass door opens, allowing me to take my first wobbly steps out into the world. I quickly get the hang of walking, but despite my own confidence, the people running towards me yell otherwise.

"Stop!" The man and woman in white jackets yell as they run towards me. "Just wait, slow down. Let us help you."

I blink a few times and look around again. The long, darkening hall feels never-ending. Chamber after chamber of people lining the metal walls. I look back at the two people stopping beside me, panting heavily from the sprinting. The girl pushes her glasses back up and scribbles something on her clipboard. "She seems to be walking okay. Doesn't seem like she'll need assistance at all."

"What a great start indeed." The man smiles and wipes off his forehead with the sleeve of his lab coat. "Hello, X3-54." He holds out his hand, which is covered in oil and electrical burns. I take it gently and shake it.

"X3-54..? That's me?" I look at my hands and the skin-tight jumpsuit I'm wearing. The pure white fabric marked with dark blue lines. "Where am I?" I look at the scientists again, still confused.

"We will get to that." The woman says with a smile before scribbling more on a piece of paper. "My name is Dr. Annabell. I am the head scientist in our robotics research compartment."

"And my name is , but most just call me Drake. I am the director of synth production in the Institute."

"The Institute?" I say it slowly and look around. "That's where I am… The Institute."

"Yes. You are correct." Annabell agrees. "Follow us and you will figure out more of what's going on. Okay?"

I gulp a little before nodding and following them up the vacant hall, our footsteps clanking on the metal floors and causing rippling echoes through the dimness. "Are those all people in those canisters?"

"Not living people. They are synths, just like you." Drake answers dully, as though he has answered that same question too many times before.

"Synth? I don't understand what you mean. You had mentioned it earlier as well."

"You'll understand soon enough, young one." Annabell laughs quietly to herself. "All will be clear some time soon."

I stop in my tracks, prepared to say more but when they look back at me I shut my mouth. Unable to think through what I really wanted to say I remain quiet as I follow them down the pathway and around several corners. This maze-like place feels compacted, yet vast. I could easily get lost on my own if I wasn't following the two scientists. We pass some people dressed like me, in white jumpsuits with dark blue lines and marks. But the people like me, the synths, don't look very happy. They're all doing typical chores, like washing the floors and tables. "Am I going to be working like that too..?"

"Potentially. It all depends." Annabell answers casually, as though it's no big deal.

"But what if I don't want to do what you tell me to?"

Drake stops and turns around. "Don't even think about that. You were created to serve humans, not to think such silly things. Whatever we tell you, don't question it."

"Perhaps something in her programming is glitched." Annabell suggests while she busily writes more. "We will have to take a look in her head."

"Yes. We need to figure out where these kind of things pop up. It seems to be appearing in many other models, perhaps we can bring an end to such things."

I take a few steps back, starting to truly fear for my fate. "Look inside my head..? What do you mean by glitched programming?"

"Perhaps it has to do with the personality and memories we programmed in."

They seemed to be in their own world, ignoring my frantic questions. I look around me in an attempt to find an exit, but the winding halls appear much too complicated for me to find my way out. If there even is a way out. Another person approaches me, who I can assume to be another 'synth' based on the fact that he has the same one piece outfit I do. "Hello. I am X2-55. You must be new." His voice was scratchy, as though coming from a broken record. "What is your name?"

His eyes appear human, yet, lifeless. Hopeless. It feels as though he isn't really look at me, but rather, simply observing. Not truly paying attention to the conversation he had just started. So automated. Programming.. "Why do you appear so frightened? We are safe here."

"X2-55. Go back to work. She is not of your concern." I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to my left to see Drake standing beside me. He looks down at me with a soul-crushing glare. "And you, X3-54, need to come with us right away. Do not even think of wandering off. I can already tell you are going to be quite troublesome."

"Let's take her to the room and get a peek in her head." The other doctor suggests.

"I want an explanation first." I turn to them, my hands curled into fists. "I want to know really what's going on around here!"

"We will tell you everything, just calm down and come with us." Annabell smiles and takes me by the hand, leading me away again with Drake following closely.

I can feel those piercing blue eyes in my back as I am half dragged past several rooms and up a winding staircase.

"You are a synth. To be specific, synth X3-54. The one before you was X3-53, who mostly works in the mines. We already know you will not be joining them." Drake explains with his monotone voice as Annabell seats me in the lone chair in the middle of the room. A spotlight turns on above me, making me flinch. "Don't be so jumpy. You're safe here, along with all the other synths. However many others don't seem to realize that either. Annabell, get the tools to crack into her skull. I want to see what's going on in there."

"But we haven't fully explained everything, we said we would-"

"I don't care. My goal is produce generation four synths that don't want to escape god damn it! She could have the answer as to why this keeps happening!"

"Generation four synths..? What does that mean?" I look at Annabell, trusting her to answer more than Drake.

"There are four kinds of synths. Gen one, two, three, and four. There is a fifth kind called Coursers, but it is most likely that you won't ever meet one. You are of the fourth gen. They are the most human like, but they are also the most likely to rebel against the Institute."

"Why would they want to..?"

"Don't ask such a stupid question." Drake scolds me. "Those kind of questions aren't helping nothing to stop it!"

I gulp and look at the floor, becoming quiet.

"Drake, such attitude is not necessary." Annabell walks over and pushes him away from me. "How about you go get the tools. Let me talk to her."

"Fine." He scowls and leaves the room. "I'll be right back." The door closes and I look up at Annabell, her dark hazel eyes looking down at me too.

"He's being a bit bitter about the escaped synths. It's not your fault."

"Escaped?"

"They decided to try to make it out in the Commonwealth. Our Coursers are out hunting them down and the people who have helped them escape."

"Commonwealth?"

"That's the world above us. The Institute is under the ground of the Commonwealth. Above ground is dangerous, full of radiation and crazy people."

"Crazy people who help them escape..?"

"Well also people who will shoot everyone on sight. Raiders, ghouls, super mutants, and even worse."

I blink a few times and look around the room. "So you people are down here to escape all of that?"

"Yes. We have clean food, water, shelter, and anything else we could ever want." She smiles and moves some hair out of my face. "You are safe here, trust me. You and everyone else."

I relax a bit and nod. "Okay. So what did you two mean by 'peeking into my head'? Does it mean something other than what I think it means?"

"Well, no. We are going to open your skull. But you'll only feel a little pain. Once we are in we can stop the pain at the source while we dig around."

"That's not comforting…" I get up and walk around the little room. I pick up a pen off the metal desk opposite of the door we had come in through. "What were you writing earlier? On your clipboard you have."

"Just some notes on your conditions, your speaking and walking abilities, for example."

"So you were just recording your observations.."

"Yes-"

"Like I'm just some kind of experiment to you…"

She gives me a shocked look. "No, that's not what I meant! We only want the best for you, X3-54! We just need to make sure you are functioning at full capacity."

"Then why look into my head if I am functioning properly?"

"That's for another reason. One we cannot fully explain to you."

"Why not?"

"It's classified work. We cannot let you know everything about us. It's risky."

I sigh and look at the pen in my hand before sitting at the desk and drawing on a yellow folder, easily gliding the pen across the thick paper as though my body knew how to by memory. I don't really pay attention to what I'm drawing until I realize what I'm doing. "I don't remember knowing how to draw.." I look up at Annabell, who has been watching me the entire time.

"It must be a part of the personality we had programmed into you."

"You mean my entire being is just.. A program?" I look at the cat I had doodled and then back at her. "I'm just a machine you people manipulated into existence…"

"Well you don't have to describe it so harshly!" Drake's voice shouts from the door. "Yes we created you, your personality, everything but that's not a bad thing."

"What exactly does it mean to be a synth? What is a synth?"

"Synths are artificial humans. Androids, is another term too."

I've heard that word before.. Android. So familiar yet the memory seems so distant.

"So I'm a robot. A creation of humans, not actually one of them."

"Yes. Now do back into your seat." Drake points me back to the spinny chair under the spotlight. "And hurry up. We don't have all day."

"But I don't want you in my head.." I get up and glare a them both. "I don't care if it's painless, I care about how you guys will be digging around in my brain!"

"You don't have a brain, X3-54. You have parts. Mechanisms." Drake explains with another scowl on his face. "We just need to make sure you're not broken."

"I'm not broken!"

"Drake, just use the deactivation code." Annabell sighs. "I know you'll have to do more work but at least then she will cooperate properly."

I gulp and sprint for the door, quickly making my way out and heading anywhere I can to hide. "Psst!" A voice whispers down a bright, vacant hall. I slowly walk towards the voice and find myself in a storage room. In front of me stands a human wearing leather and metal armor. "What is your name?"

"Uhh… X3-54."

"You're new. Patriot didn't mention you when we went over the thirteen who did want to escape." The blond woman smiles kindly and holds out her hand. "I'll help you out. I'm friends with some people who can help you."

"Who are you..?"

"You can just call me Blade. I'm from the Commonwealth." She moves her hand closer to encourage me to take it. "I am secretly working with a group of people called the Railroad. We free synths. If you need help, take it now. Neither of us want to know what will happen if they catch you."

I nod and take her hand. "Please. Get me out of here."

Blade nods and look at the large screen on her left wrist. "Pipboy. Old North Church. Fast Travel. Now."