Chapter 7 – On the Road Again
Maxson leaned over Max as she sat comfortably at her desk in the vault above Sanctuary.
"Are you going to tell me how you get onto the Prydwen?" He asked in exasperation. "It's a security risk and when we're in hostile territory, it would be nice if we could close those holes. I would have thought, as you will be in residence, you might like the peace of mind that it was an impenetrable fortress."
Max snorted. "Hardly impenetrable. I can name at least a dozen ways onto that ship and only one of those is by relay… which I might add, won't be an option outside of the Commonwealth."
Maxson glared at her, a look mirrored by Lancer Captain Kells, for once outside of the Prydwen and by his leaders side.
Max sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine… The first time I went up there was by one of your own vertibirds. I used a stealthboy and attached myself to the bottom of the bird, it took me up and then I climbed around to your quarters and came in through the window.
"The second time was by relay. I had Dr Li with me and she's not so spry, so it seemed a little off to expect her to free climb anywhere."
"And the third time, I scaled the control tower and climbed your moorings to the forecastle and climbed down to your quarters and through the window… I didn't even need the stealthboy that time, you people never look up."
Kells had gone pale under his dusky skin and Maxsons frown threatened to permanently furrow his youthful face.
"What?" She asked innocently. "Not my fault you guys don't have locks on your windows."
"If you were going to try again… How would you go about it?" Maxson asked, his tone worried.
"Definitely a Jet Pack…. Ohhh, Pogo Stick. No, no … a trampoline." Max chortled gleefully at their twin expressions. "Guys relax, I'm a professional trouble maker, I'll work with your security team to plug the holes."
Maxson didn't relax… far from it. He was on edge, McNamaras message was far from relaxing and Maxson was also still unsure as to why the message had been sent to Max and not to him. The Courier had confirmed the message was for General Max Everton, though he had been under the initial impression that Max was a man.
They needed to leave. He needed to be across the country as soon as possible.
"Are you going to tell me what the message means?… and why we have to go to Las Vegas at all?" Max asked.
"You don't have to come. In fact, it would be in your best interests to not come." Maxson retorted.
"The message was for me! If it was intended for the receiver to go to Vegas, then that's where I have to be." Max asserted again. They had already argued about this for Christs sake… why did the Brotherhood have to be so bloody argumentative?
Maxson shut his mouth with a click of his teeth. He wanted to smile, but knew that would be a big mistake. He wanted her to come. He needed her to be there but he needed it to be her choice and the fastest way to get Max to do anything was to tell her that she wasn't supposed to. He kept the stony expression plastered on his face.
Kells looked between the two leaders uncertainly as they glared at each other.
"The Prydwen is built to house a company of soldiers and their support staff. Two hundred souls." He began the briefing that he was there to administer, trying to ignore the icy silence of his superiors. "We will be bringing only fifty with us in total. Ingram, Quinlan and Neriah will stay in the Commonwealth to oversee the Brotherhood interests here. Cade and myself will round out the command crew of the Prydwen along with Paladin Rhys who will be stepping into Teagans former command role."
Max gave an exaggerated groan. "Are you seriously so dumb as to put him and me in the same enclosed space for any duration of time?" The look she gave the two men was almost comically cynical. "With the Courier on board, no less…?"
"What's the problem with the Courier?" Maxson asked, sidestepping the problem with Max and Rhys.
Max gave him the 'you've got to be kidding' look.
Oh yes… Rhys 'admiration' for Paladin Danse… right.
"He's my most senior Paladin now… I can't bypass him."
"What about MacNamara… isn't she…"
"Paladin MacNamara is pregnant." Kells interrupted. "We need Rhys."
"Pregnant.. yay her." Max clapped her hands delightedly.
Maxson scowled darkly at her. "You need to talk to your people about controlling their instincts around Brotherhood women… that's two we've lost to you now."
"She's pregnant to a Minuteman? No one tells me anything… who?"
"Your propaganda agent. Miles and she have had a dalliance."
"Travis? The sly dog. He's not my propaganda agent, he's my DJ. Pipers my propaganda agent." She shook her head in amusement. "I need to get her a gift or something." She mused. "OK so, Rhys... whatever, OK."
"We need to account for your contingent before we calculate the final crew numbers." Kells continued.
"There'll be me, the Courier, Boone, MacCready, Curie, Sturges and Haylen… And you're bringing Zac as well, right?"
"He expressed an interest in coming, yes. I can't help but notice that you have included two synths in your party." Maxson said pointedly.
"I have included a medical officer and an engineer in my party. Along with a former scribe who is well versed in Brotherhood protocol. Two skilled snipers and an all round badass… what's your point?" Maxs eyebrow rose, she thought that they were passed the synth nonsense.
Maxson just shrugged and dropped it.
Kells paused again while the two leaders glared at each other again.
"We'll resupply the Prydwen and ready the troops and we'll leave at dawn, the day after tomorrow." Kells looked at both of them and they both nodded shortly concluding the meeting.
Maxson was watching Max, he reached out his hand and she took it to shake in agreement. She managed to stop him before he came in for the kiss on the cheek. She called to Preston to show her guests out and then moved out to a meeting of her own. The people that she had planned to take were gathered around the table in the common area in the Vault.
The Courier and Boone were only hitching a ride home. MacCready was going because Zac was going and Curie was going because MacCready was going. Haylen wanted Sturges to meet a few of her friends and Sturges wanted to get a closer look at the Prydwen. Those were the only reasons for her choices. She grinned at the gathering.
"We're going to Vegas, baby."
In typical Commonwealth fashion, the departure of the Prydwen was delayed by a particularly vicious Radstorm. It buffeted the vessel at its mooring and the crew waited resignedly for it to subside. Max found herself in the mess with Zac Hobson sitting across from her tossing back a Nuka Cola.
"Wait… your folks are James and Catherine Hobson? From Project Purity? Max asked in awe.
"Yep." He grinned, "should I be upset that you've heard of them and you barely knew who I was?"
"Yeah, you should." She replied with a smile, before continuing. "Madison Li is the new head honcho at CIT. She's going to try replicating Project Purity here in the Commonwealth. She made sure everyone here knew that she was involved in the Capitals big win. Don't worry though. I had heard of you… you're a little bit famous."
"I am pretty awesome." He agreed with a grin and he struck a heroic pose before swiping his hand through his sandy coloured hair and giving her a sparkly blue-eyed wink.
"My God, you have an ego on you, don't you?" She said with a laugh.
"I do have that." He smiled, lifted his Nuka Cola bottle to his lips and drained the last few drops.
"You're Brotherhood, right?" Max asked suddenly.
Zac put down the empty bottle and pushed it to the far side of the table. "I was, not anymore. I'm more of a private contractor now."
"So, do you agree with all of their Doctrine… the Codex?" Max asked, she leaned forward, like the answer was really important.
"Fuck no… No." Zac replied quickly, reading her body language. "And neither does Arthur, not really."
"Are you sure? You haven't seen him in a while and I've heard him say some pretty Brotherhoody things."
"Listen… He's smart… smarter that old Lyons was." Zac insisted, suddenly serious. He leaned forwards as well, lowering his voice. "Arthur told me that you said that the Brotherhood can't evolve… you were almost right. Did you know that the guys we're going to see, the Mojave chapter, are shut ins? They live in an underground bunker and can barely interact with the outside world. I don't know much about the other chapters but don't be surprised if they are the same. Arthur reunited the Brotherhood in the Capital under the old school banner, the original codex. Arthur could unite the whole Brotherhood, just with his name alone and if he did, they would be the controlling power in the whole country. He has the power to do that."
"He has to be really careful though, it has to be done gradually, a little bit at a time. Too much too soon and it will all crumble in his hands. Lyons tried to change them overnight. Look what happened there… the Outcasts splintered off and the Brotherhood dwindled. Arthur doesn't believe in the Codex… but the old guard do and they are the ones he needs to get on side to gain control over everything. He has to convince them that he's what they need to lead them into the future."
Zac leaned back and looked at her through lowered lashes. "You get what I'm saying right?"
Max nodded. "You can't turn a super tanker on a dime." She said.
"Right." Zac said. "I have no idea what that means… but I guess you're right."
She grinned at him and described what a super tanker was and how hard they were to steer. She was in the middle of telling him about other poor boating decisions, the Titanic in particular, when the Courier strode over to their table and sat down uninvited, followed by Boone who was lighting up a cigarette.
"When is this tub going to get moving?" He grunted.
"Radstorms only last an hour or so." Max assured him. "not long now."
"Hate being penned up, you think they'll let me sleep on the deck?" He asked.
"There's a store room on the flight deck, they might let you put your cots in there? I'll ask Kells."
Boone blew smoke over the table and the Courier noticed Max wrinkle her nose a little. He also noticed that Rhys fella walk into the mess. Rhys looked over at their table and narrowed his eyes when he spotted Max. If looks could kill, Max would be in many bloody pieces right now. He also looked at the Courier, that look was almost as creepy. The Courier knew the look had more to do with the former Paladin Danse than him, but it unsettled him none the less. He also spotted a glance towards Sophie Haylen and her man that was none too friendly. This was sorting itself out to be a very interesting trip if they ever actually left.
The Courier was not sure what to make of Zac yet. Zac was a pretty boy who could easily be dismissed as such but he also had a reputation for being somewhat of a serious operator. Hard to believe but he did have an edge to him that he seemed to keep well hidden, a sharpness to his eyes that left you in little doubt to his true capabilities. He was a lot like Max in that regard. She was a leader, to be sure but she was also extremely dangerous. The Courier had been forced to push aside the initial impression she gave. He could see what she was now. The three of them had more in common than he would have liked to admit. It would be interesting to get to know them better on this trip.
He gave a sigh of relief when the announcement came over the PA system that the Prydwen was about to cast off. Max excused herself from the table and walked towards the front of the ship and the Command Deck below. Courier glanced at Boone and sure enough the sneaky devil was eye balling the General as she walked away, his aviators hiding the direction of his eyes from everyone... except the Courier… and Zac Hobson, who grinned widely at the Courier knowingly.
Yeah.. the Courier thought. Don't underestimate that guy.
The Prydwen skimmed its way across the Commonwealth.
From the air, Max could make out landmarks from the old world she had known and the new one that she had found herself living in. She wondered not for the first time what was waiting for them outside of the Commonwealths borders. It was exciting and a little intimidating.
She remembered a lot of the old world. She had moved all over as an army brat. She had been stationed all over as a soldier. She had killed all over as a government sanctioned assassin. But this wasn't the world that she had dominated back then, this one was completely different. It was a world where people like the Courier existed. Like the Lone Wanderer existed. It was a world where organisations like the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave and the Institute existed.
Beyond the borders of the commonwealth was something more. So much more. She would have to adapt again. She would have to trust in others to keep her, if not safe, (she was capable of that) then aware of the dangers. She needed to stay sharp.
For whatever would come. Whatever was coming…
