Authors Notes: Few things to go over here. First is I'd like to give a shoutout to Straumoy for the feedback he provided on AO3. The second is that due to real life, updates will temporarily be on hold for a bit. The last two are comments I want to make about this particular chapter. There's a sort of non-violent torture scene in this chapter so readers be warned. And lastly, to any female readers, the main scene in this chapter is purposefully exaggerated and shouldn't be construed as factual.

So with that said, hopefully you'll still enjoy reading this.


Nora was staring out over the skyline of Concord from her position atop the Museum of Freedom. The sun was shining brightly overhead and a few patches of white drifted through the sky. She could see farmlands in the distance and beyond them a range of forested hills. It would have been an idyllic day were it not for the people shooting at her.

Sturges, the handyman hiding within the museum, had been right. The suit of power armor up here had rusted over the centuries it had lain dormant but was still functional. Nora raised one armored hand in front of her helmet and curled her fingers into a fist before grinning. The suit was humming all about her as she took the first steps that it had seen in centuries. It almost felt like the armor was it's own creature and was excited to serve it's purpose once again after being dormant for so long. Adrenaline began coursing through her veins as she stepped into the vertibird, her gaze on the mounted minigun on the far side. One solid yank ripped the minigun out of the turret it had been affixed to. Nora checked the drum to make sure it had ammo before heading back out onto the roof.

The raiders were quick to react when she approached the roof's edge and their rifles began popping as they opened fire. She had been a tiny bit afraid it wouldn't protect her but the raider's shots were harmlessly pinging off the outer shell. Whether it was the adrenaline or a reckless feeling of superiority from the power armor, she couldn't say, but Nora sprinted the last few steps as she leapt off the building. The concrete where she landed fractured under the suit's weight and cracks split off several feet in every direction as she landed on the street. And then her minigun's barrels began to spin and spit out death as she opened fire on the raiders.

As she advanced down the street, Nora felt like a goddess unleashing her wrath. These raiders were nothing, their weapons were nothing. They might have been an affliction that this new world had to deal with, but they were helpless against the might and technology of the world she had come from.

Her gun stopped spinning as the last of the raiders fell and then there was a roar unlike anything she had ever heard before.

The metal plate leading to the sewer bent in the middle outwards as something slammed into it from below. A few seconds later and the plate ripped free from it's hinges and flew up into the air as something emerged. It was massive, larger than any lizard that had existed since the dinosaurs had gone extinct. It's scales were a greenish-black, the head sported a pair of curved horns and it's back was covered in spikes. Nora raised her minigun to begin firing but the reptile was terribly swift for a creature of its size as it bounded towards here on all four limbs.

It seized her by the shoulders and she felt it effortlessly lifting her off the ground as if she weighed no more than a small child. Nora felt the impact shake every bone in her body when she was slammed back down onto the street. The deathclaw sprang upon her, the sheer weight of the monstrous reptile pinning her to the ground beneath it. Horrible piercing squeals filled the air as it's vicious claws left thin gouges in their wake upon the armor protecting her flesh and blood. It opened it's razor filled maw to roar but a woman's voice came out "Blue!"

She started awake as Piper had a hand on each shoulder and was gently shaking her. "Wake up Blue, it's just a dream." Nora looked around the room in confusion. This wasn't Concord... she wasn't wearing power armor and the deathclaw wasn't anywhere in sight. Piper's voice was soft, but there was a small trace of frustration in it as she wiped a bit of sweat off Nora's forehead with her jacket sleeve "It was the deathclaw dream again wasn't it? It's dead Blue, you killed it, it can't hurt you."

It was only then that she realized Piper's hands were free of their handcuffs and so were hers for that matter. The ropes tied around their ankles had vanished as well. Nora was about to reply when the door leading to the outside opened and a man wearing a green lab coat entered. He was a noticeably shorter than Nora and fairly skinny. His ill cared-for hair was a sort of dirty brown and his smaller than normal eyes had a light bluish hue. Nora and Piper exchanged a glance as he approached the glass barrier, his attention fixed on the clipboard in his hands.

He finally looked up from the notes he was reading as his attention shifted to Nora. His voice was a flat monotone and lacking any real inflection. Nora felt herself growing to understand what an insect trapped in a jar to be stared at must have felt like as he spoke. "Female, thirty years old. First name Nora, last name unknown. One son, no other living family. Educated in law so no physical danger from profession is being assumed. Two months in the Commonwealth since being released from cryo pod. Some exposure to radiation is likely and a high probability of injury since then is estimated."

His gaze turned to Piper as he lifted the top piece of paper off the clipboard to look at the next page. "Female, age unknown – best estimate is early to late twenties. First name Piper, last name Wright. One sister in Diamond City, existence of other family members unknown. Ran the newspaper Publick Occurrences in Diamond City, has a history of negative reactions to her articles so some injuries and threats to life have been noted as occurring. Born and raised in the Commonwealth so radiation damage is expected and there is a an almost guaranteed probability of inherited mutations."

Piper snorted derisively, her voice dripping with sarcasm "That's quite the profile you got on us. So who are you?"

He shrugged her mockery off as he lowered the clipboard "My name is Nolan MacBridge and I am one of the scientists in Bioscience. I could go into more detail, but none of that is relevant to either of you. You will remain here Miss Wright while Nora comes with me. There is much to do."

Nora smirked at the man's order "And why would I do that? I'd rather bash your head in than help you."
Nolan lifted an eyebrow as he pulled some sort of rectangular device out of his coat pocket. "Father did say you would not be cooperative but there is always the chance you will change your mind. Until then." They could hear the click of him pressing buttons before Nolan twisted a dial.

Her jaw abruptly clamped shut of its own accord and then the pain started. It came from everywhere all at once in a giant flood. Nora felt herself burning away as if she was standing in the path of a flamethrower. Every square inch of her skin, every piece of muscle fiber, all her nerve endings and chunks of fatty tissue was ablaze. She tried to scream from the agony, but her jaw wouldn't open no matter how badly she wanted it to. And then it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Nora dropped to her hands and knees as she began gasping for air while her heart hammered at the inside of her chest. Piper looked lost and confused at what had just happened but she knelt at Nora's side and put a hand on her back nonetheless. Nolan on the other hand looked disinterested, bored even, at her reaction. She forced the words out in-between gasps for air "What did... you do... to me?"

Nolan ruffled through the sheets on his clipboard before he pulled out a black and white x-ray picture. He turned it around and pressed it to the glass for them to look at. It showed a person's skull and part of their spinal cord in a classic side profile shot. She had seen x-ray's before but this one had something new to it, a metal looking object wrapped around the spinal cord near the base of the skull "After the two of you were put to sleep yesterday, we surgically attached this device to your spinal cords. It taps directly into your nervous system and with it we can transmit signals of our choosing."

He slid the x-ray back onto the clipboard as he continued speaking with that same utter lack of emotion

"The Institute prefers that you cooperate with me of your own accord but if necessary we will take whatever steps are needed. And as a safeguard all of our activities are being monitored and recorded. These observers also have a copy of the controller in their possession therefore neutralizing me will accomplish nothing. So once again, Miss Wright will stay here while Nora comes with me."

Nora tried to look for something, anything she could use to her advantage here but the Institute had left nothing to chance. They might have been able to pull something off now that their hands were free but the Institute had deftly avoided that possibility. She had no weapons, no armor and her only friend here was as helpless against this device as she was. There was only one choice available to her. Nora reached out to squeeze Piper's hand, seeking whatever small comfort she could, before Nolan took her out of their cell and into the next room.

This part of the lab was about four times than size of the room containing their cell but other than that they had little in common. The floor was made out of a generic looking white tile and she could see a few alcoves on one side of the room. The nearest held some kind of table and she could barely glimpse some kind of chair in the alcove next to it. She could see several of the cameras Father had pointed out to her mounted on the walls and a couple fixed to the ceiling. Their were were two other doors she could see as well. The one on the far side of the room had their abductor, X-Six, standing guard with laser rifle in hand. She glanced at the other, but saw nothing about it worth noting.

Nolan first led her to the table that she had spotted. It was made of steel, but the waist high table had cushions buttoned to the top of it and a disposable sheet covering those. Beneath the table top were several drawers. He gestured to the table as he pulled one of the drawers open "Be seated."

Nora hesitantly pushed herself up and onto the table, feeling uneasy about the man's intentions "What are you going to do to me?"

For the first time since she had seen him, the doctor's face showed a flicker of emotion as his lips flattened tightened in annoyance. "The directorate has ordered that I answer any questions you ask about the procedures you and Miss Wright undergo. This is a physical examination. It would have been best to do this after you left the cryo pod but Father rejected my request at that time."

Nora felt something resembling hope flicker inside her. It wasn't much, but any information that she could pry loose had a chance of being useful. And at the very least, she would know what was happening to her "All right then. I want you to always tell me what you're going to do beforehand. Starting now."

His disapproval at having to explain himself deepened into a scowl before vanishing as he regained control and became placid once more. "Very well. Vault-Tec had the people of Sanctuary Hills frozen as an experiment to study the long-term effects of cryogenic suspension on the human body. There was an examination on Father when he was brought to the Institute but he was an infant at the time. As an adult, you may have been affected differently."

MacBridge turned away as he went to grab a cart and wheel it back over to the table. Nora watched in silence as he began pulling out instruments from the drawer and placed them on the top of the cart. Two hundred years may have passed but the tools he was selecting looked much the same as the ones she remembered from doctor's visits in the past. Thermometer, blood pressure cuff, a flexible flashlight, stethoscope, latex gloves and a few more scopes that she could never remember the names of.

He pulled on the gloves as he began examining her. Checking her temperature, heart rate and blood pressure Listening to her breathing, shining lights in the eyes, peering into her mouth, ears and even looking up her nasal passages. Nolan badgered her with questions about anything that might have happened to her as he worked. "Any cuts? Bruises? Bites? Have you been exposed to radiation? Do you have any mystery pains or aches?"

She shook her head as he set one of the scopes back onto the cart. "I've gotten my fair share of bruises and I ran into radiation occasionally out there but I always use RadAways to deal with it."

MacBridge picked up a small sealed package and opened it to pull out a small syringe "I will need to take a blood sample for testing then." She winced as he drew blood from the crook of her elbow then applied a small bandage over it after he was done. He tossed the needle into a nearby box with a prominently displayed warning label on it before picking up another syringe, this one already filled with some kind of liquid.

Nora frowned at the sight of him uncapping the syringe and checking the needle, feeling apprehensive all of a sudden "What is that?"

"It is a drug that will increases the number of eggs you grow during your next cycle. Since you are uncontaminated by radiation like everyone else is, the eggs you produce should be similarly unaffected. The probability of success is unknown, but any genetic material you produce could help us determine what mutations humanity has undergone since the Great War. You could say that we are using you to establish a baseline for comparison."

Nora stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. Father had said she had been brought here to help with their so-called 'research' but kidnapping her and Piper from her home? Surgically installing devices to control them. It was all just to get some eggs? They didn't even bother to try and ask her first! Nora was jolted out of her internal reverie by Nolan sticking the needle into her thigh and pressing down on the plunger. She yelped then glared daggers at him, more than a little displeased as he applied a bandage to her leg "A little warning next time?"

He ignored her comment as he threw the second used syringe away. Nolan tugged at the cuff on one of his gloves as he turned back towards her. "Take off your clothes." Nora visibly recoiled, taken aback both by the order and how casually it had been given. "W-what?"

"This physical is not yet complete. I have to finish examining you and your clothes are in the way. Take them off." Nora felt a wave of nausea emanating from her stomach at the idea. Sit still while he inspected her eyes and ears? Fine. Letting him draw some blood was a bit shady but not the end of the world. But stripping naked for this exam, especially with that guard at the door and cameras recording all of this? She was about to refuse when she saw one of his hands slip into the pocket that held the controller he had used on her earlier.

Nora extended her palms towards him pleading "Wait! You don't need to use that, I'll do it." She pushed herself off of the table and reached down to grab the hem of her dress. Her face began reddening as she pulled it up and over her head before discarding it one side. Nolan watched impassively as she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, revealing her breasts to his gaze. Nora slipped out of her high heels before crouching as she slid her panties off of her legs. She reflexively put one arm over her breasts and tried to cover her crotch with the other hand as his gaze critically swept up and down her now exposed body.

The doctor pointed towards the chair that she had spotted earlier "Take a seat and we will begin." Nora had first seen it when she had entered the room but hadn't paid it any attention. It only took a second to realize what it was for now that she was actually looking at it. The chair's padded back was reclined at a somewhat low angle while the seat itself was perfectly flat. In addition there were a pair of stirrups shaped like an upside down 'V' and two foot rests that were connected to the chair by two adjustable steel beams.

Nora felt herself beginning to tremble at what she knew was coming next but there was no way to avoid it and it was still preferable to that device being turned on again. The chair being comfortable was the only solace she could find as she seated herself before spreading her legs apart as she pressed her feet against the footrests. She looked up at the ceiling above her only to see a camera in perfect position to record everything that happened in this chair.

Nolan had rolled the cart he had been using to hold his tools over to the chair as she was sitting down, but she couldn't see what was on it from this angle. He pushed the stirrups outwards a bit more to further exposing her groin before locking them into place. She shivered as his examination resumed , starting with her abdomen. His hands moved slowly as he pressed against her belly to feel for any deformities or lumps in her organs. Despite her disgust at being felt up like a flank of meat, she couldn't help but giggle as his fingers pushed into her sides and felt along her rib cage, one bone at a time.

After that, his attention turned her bosom as his checkup inexorably moved upwards. She had a moment's respite as he began asking questions much like he had earlier. "Any noticeable discharge? Soreness? Pain? Have you examined your breasts since being revived?" Nora shook her head 'no' to all of them, not wanting to speak to this creature anymore. Nolan simply nodded in response before gripping her breasts, one in each hand. She felt anger simmering inside her at how casually he had done it, but her rage was impotent against the pain she would experience if she reacted how she very much wanted to.

Nora had never considered her chest to be on the larger side, but Nolan's palms were overflowing as he began pressing inward while moving his fingers in circles to feel for any lumps. And despite of her anger and repugnance at how she was being treated she couldn't help but murmur ever so slightly as his pressure increased. Her bosom had always been sensitive to being touched and those fingertips were making sure every square inch had been checked. Nora felt his fingers cease their search and begin to pull away but he provoked an audible gasp from her as he studiously tweaked both nipples with his thumbs before withdrawing entirely.

MacBridge started pulling the gloves he was wearing off and tossed them into a bag attached to the side of the cart. He wheeled a chair over to sit in front of her and pulled on another pair before asking a question that she had never expected. "Have you been sexually active at all since leaving the cryo pod?"

Nora glared at him, her face contorting at the intrusive question. "That's none of your god damn business"

"Yes or no?" Silence fell as he waited for a response from her. Eventually he began reaching into his pocket once more. "No, I haven't slept with anyone." The hand stopped "What about masturbation?"

She shook her head "No."

He sat down in the chair before extending his gloved left hand to her groin. Nora bit her lip, drawing a small bead of blood, as she desperately tried to avoid making any further sounds of arousal as Nolan's fingers deftly spread her labia apart. His eyes moved slightly, both from side to side and up and down as he inspected for any visible abnormalities. "Cough once."

After she followed his order, he placed one hand on her abdomen then inserted the index and middle finger on his other hand into her vagina. She gritted her teeth as his fingers almost leisurely worked their way around inside of her. Nora took a shuddering breath as she found herself reacting to the way it felt to have those fingers penetrate her. It was purely a physical response but it still felt just a little bit pleasurable to be touched in something resembling a sexual manner by anyone, herself included. Her time traveling the Commonwealth, the long months carrying Shaun and recovering from his delivery. She sighed in relief and just a little disappointed when he pulled out of her. "So are you done yet?" she asked.

The doctor shook his head wordlessly as he began smearing some kind of jelly one of his fingers and promptly slid it, albeit slowly, into her anal sphincter. Despite the lack of warning, Nora couldn't help but moan wantonly as her muscles involuntarily clenched tightly around his finger. Her cheeks burned scarlet in embarrassment as the doctor glanced up at her face before returning to her pelvic region. He was stuck in place and unable to move until he pushed harder to break free from the grip her body had taken. She moaned again, even louder than before, as his finger pressed inwards, all the way to his knuckle, and began to work about as it felt for any sort of abnormality

And then, after what felt like forever to her, the finger was gone and he was removing the latex gloves once again. Nora felt her tension beginning to disappear as he threw the second pair into the same bag as the first pair. She turned her head to the side as she took a few deep breathes and wiped the blood off her lips with the back of her hand. "It seems like you are perfectly healthy but there will be some tests done on the blood sample you provided however so I cannot be entirely certain until then."

He stood up and gestured towards the room where Piper had been left. "You may dress yourself before you return to your room. After Miss Wright's examination is complete food will be brought for the two of you."

Nora slowly pulled her clothes back on. It wasn't much, but taking her time in dressing would at least delay Piper's sharing the experience she had just been through. She knew it was pointless, in the back of her mind at least, as this could only be the beginning.