During the five hours Moreno was in debriefing the Remnant passed the time anyway they could. Daisy, Judah and Henry were currently engaged in a three way game of Caravan
"Looks like I'm about to win this round" Daisy smirked as she put her second caravan up to 26. This went well with her first caravan also 26.
"You always did gloat to soon," Judah laughed before placing down a king, turning Daisy's newly acquired 26 to 36. "You're not winning this one Daisy."
Henry simply rolled his eyes laid down eight of clubs, completing the third caravan. Though in a 3-way caravan the game didn't end until each Caravan had been sold twice between the three of them, instead of just once.
Johnson was resting his eyes while Arcade was reading a copy of the wasteland survival guide. "You know this book is from the DC area originally, its kind of odd the Enclave aren't even mentioned in here." The blonde doctor remarked. "Its kind of amazing a few copies of his made it all the way to the Mojave."
"Well the Enclave always liked to operate in the dark, wouldn't do to have a book published that talked about them." Judah answered as he laid down a joker, bringing everyone else's sold caravans back below 20.
"So either they don't know the Enclave are out here or the Enclave censored the book, that sounds about right" Arcade quipped. "That colonel, something about him feels off and his name sounds familiar like I've heard it before."
At this time Moreno finally returned escorted by two guards in hellfire armor. "Pull up a chair, maybe we can make this a four way game" Judah offered Moreno who nodded and sat down with his own deck.
They also brought some lunch, which consisted of Brahman burgers and some kind of juice from what they called Punga Fruit. Apparently it functioned as a natural radaway. After Moreno, Johnson was escorted away, then Kreger and finally Daisy. Each returned after half and hour or so and said they were told not to discuss the debriefings until they were all finished.
"Arcade Gannon" The two power armored guards who escorted Moreno back turned to doctor. "If you would please come with us." Arcade simply nodded and followed the guards. When he exited the cage one of the soldiers held up a sack.
"What's that for?" Arcade eyed the bag suspiciously.
"For security purposes" replied the guard. Arcade let out a sigh before taking the sack and putting it over his head. He didn't understand why it was necessary to keep the location of the interrogation room a secret.
"Why is this necessary?" he mumbled through the bag as the soldiers led him past numerous brotherhood personal dressed in the usually colors.
"For security purposes." The two guards replied in unison. Even though they couldn't see Arcade roll his eyes but he did so anyway. Arcade decided to drop the futile argument. He was escorted inside somewhere and pushed down onto a chair in front of a metal table. When they pulled the bag from his head he saw he was in a pitch-black room. When suddenly four bright lights shined in front of him, revealing the shadowy silhouette of the colonel with his hands held together.
"Let us begin" the Colonel said plainly, "Your name is Arcade Gannon. You were born in 2246, four years after the Poseidon Oil Rig was destroyed. Your father died on mission shortly there after. After the destruction of Navarro you and the others tried unsuccessfully to integrate into the NCR. Your mother died when you were still young and Daisy was like a mother to you after that." Arcade said nothing as the man in front of him read his own life back to him.
"If any thing I say is inaccurate please correct me." Though Arcade couldn't see it through the bright lights shining behind him. He guessed the smug son of a bitch was smirking. "I will" he shrugged.
Jack nodded and flipped to another page before continuing. "Your attempts to integrate met with failure due to the relentless way the NCR and the Brotherhood of Steel perused Enclave personnel they considered war criminals." These words unsettled the doctor. When the colonel used the words war criminal the tone wasn't ironic or sarcastic. He said it the way Johnson would say it or the way Arcade he might say it. But how could someone other then a patriot reaches the rank of colonel.
"Eventually you settled in the Mojave wasteland, where you became a doctor for followers of the Apocalypse, and the others settled into lives as loners and scavengers, until a man known as the Courier recruited you all to fight against Caesar's Legion at Hoover dam. You then flew here far way from any pursuit." He paused obviously waiting for Arcade to finally say something.
"You know a lot about us then?" Arcade pushed his glasses back up his face. Not that it mattered he couldn't see much of anything with the light shining in his eyes.
"Moreno was very through in his debriefing, I also know your favorite color is blue; you like to eat Gecko kebabs. As a child you had a stuffed bear named Mr. Bigglesworth…. and you're a gay.
Arcade's eyes widen in surprise and he slumped back into his chair. "He was thorough."
"Yes he was…" the tone and pause made Arcade think something bad was about to happen. "He was quite thorough about everyone, except Henry. He had almost nothing to say about him." There it was Moreno wouldn't have betrayed Henry as a deserter, but Henry caught attention because Moreno didn't have much to say about him or maybe he Colonel as simply asking because it wasn't. Arcade remembered what the Courier had said about a good lie. A good lie was wrapped in the truth. Catching 100% Brahman shit was easy. But only 5% was much harder. The remnant had planned ahead of time what they might say if asked about Henry.
"He was scientist, an expert in the field of cyber-genetics; his work included experimental treatment for FEV mutations, cybernetics in enhancements in humans but especially for dogs. " Arcade decided to stick to Henry's work expertise.
"Oh yes, Moreno was quite thorough about Henry's work, he had all these details about everyone, old stories about times in Navarro after the loss of the Oil Rig. But Henry wasn't in those stories" Jack was smirking though Arcade couldn't see it.
Arcade remembered those words of the Courier; wrap a lie in the truth. Which is what he did. "Henry was away from the Oil Rig when it blew up and cut off from any soldiers who could have escorted him to Navarro. Its not like he could have marched for weeks across the wastes by himself."
"What was he doing so far from support?" Jack probed.
"You'd have to ask him, I wasn't even born until after the Oil Rig was destroyed we only reunited with Henry after Navarro was attacked" Arcade hopped the Colonel was satisfied and would move on. Thankfully he did. "Yes that is all consistent with what the others have told us, we'll check with Henry next."
The rest of the interview had more to do with what Arcade thought of the Enclave and their history what they did and how he felt about that. Arcade was careful to remain as neutral as possible. He couldn't stomach endorsing some of there actions and feared what criticizing them might do. He used languages such as did what they had to, or what they felt was necessary. But mostly he pointed out it happened before he was a born or when he was just a child.
"Are you any closer to deciding are fate" as exasperated Arcade Gannon finally asked towards the end of the interview. At this point he could see a second shadowy figure hand the Colonel a document of some kind.
"Oh" Jack said. "That's very interesting."
"Interesting how…."
"Well according to this file we uncovered, Dr. Henry was charged with desertion of his post back in 2241. He was considered AWOL and a traitor. His record is also that of a man who very often questioned the Enclave and what they did"
Arcade tensed up with worry for his old friend. He never heard of the Enclave being merciful or kind to deserters. But then the tumblers fell into place, and he had an epiphany. The colonel consistently referred to the enclave and there actions as they. He referenced them as an outsider would and if Jack wasn't real none of this was.
"Who are you really?" Arcade demanded.
"I'm Colonel Jack Romuald of the Enclave armed forces," he maintained. Arcade simply huffed while crossing his arms.
"You kept calling the Enclave they, Moreno the other remnants, they always referred to the Enclave and there actions as what we did, what we thought. You keep slipping up and talking about the Enclave as an outsider. Tell me I'm wrong."
Jack lowered his head and chuckled. "Your clever Arcade, I'll give you that one, so who do you think I am?" He leaned forward expectantly awaiting reply.
"I don't know, you obviously have access to Enclave technology and equipment, your also familiar enough with them to put up this façade so maybe your deserters yourselves or a technologically advanced group like the Brotherhood of steel" Arcade straitened up in his chair waiting for Jack to make the next move
"Though Casdin would certainly disagree" Jack smirked then shouted "lights" He face palmed when another spot light appeared behind him further blinding Arcade. "I meant all the lights." He shouted.
"Sorry" A voice in the background called back before the room lit up evenly revealing the banner of a sword and gears behind him.
