"Fire!"
The sound of shots being fired from various weapons rang through the air in Sanctuary once again as some of the newer Minutemen recruits aimed at the targets that had been set up for their use; a half-dozen dummies hastily cobbled together with faded cloth and lumps of fabric. The trainees took position on the wider path between Sanctuary and the small bridge that led the way to the hill where Vault 111 was while the targets had been placed on the other side of the stream.
Bryce stood a short distance behind them with Preston at his side, both observing the group in front of them. The two had kept a close eye on their charges throughout the exercise, discussing the performance of the trainees as well as sharing ideas on what to do next to improve the Minuteman's standing once they felt sure that they had recruited sufficient people to keep Sanctuary and neighboring settlements secure.
There was one issue at hand that they both agreed needed to be addressed at that very moment: A recruit whom they felt could still use some improvement.
"Jun!"
The man in question flinched upon hearing the prewar veteran barking his name and Bryce couldn't help but shake his head in both exasperation and pity. While Jun Long had slightly pulled himself together since he was rescued from the Concord museum, where he had been on the cusp of suffering a nervous breakdown when the vault dweller met him, he was still a rather timid and jittery individual who mostly kept to himself whenever he wasn't trying to strike up conversation with his wife, Marcy.
Bryce did feel sympathy for them, having learned that the Long's had lost their son along the journey from Quincy to Sanctuary. He figured they were trying to cope with the situation in their own way which seemed to be by keeping others at arm's length. Between Marcy's irritable demeanor and Jun doing random work around the settlement while hiding away from everyone else, others around Sanctuary seemed to have learned to leave them to their space unless it was absolutely necessary to speak with either of them.
So it came as a surprise to Bryce that Jun would be among the first to volunteer when the vault dweller announced that he was searching for willing recruits for the Minutemen militia.
"Y-Yes, General?" Jun stammered and Bryce sighed as he walked over to his position behind a rusty cabinet that was being used as practice cover. The vault dweller knelt on one knee beside Jun, clasping one hand on the nervous man's shoulder while he pulled out a pair of binoculars from his Army jacket with his other hand.
"Everyone else landed their shots…" he trailed off while he passed the binoculars to Jun. The aspiring Minuteman set the pipe rifle he was using onto the dirt patch beside him before taking the binoculars and looking through the lenses towards the target Bryce was pointing at. The same one he had aimed for.
His shot barely grazed the area where the shoulder would be. It would have had no effect on an armored target. Even a half-naked Raider hopped up on chems would have shrugged it off with barely a wince.
"…While yours barely scratched the target."
"Oh…I see. Uhm-"
"Had that been an actual enemy, you or a friendly near you would most likely end up dead."
Jun sighed, his shoulders slumping as he lowered his head and kept his gaze fixed on the ground like he was ashamed of his own inadequacy. Bryce felt a hint of annoyance at the man's defeatist attitude, but he quickly brushed it aside as he endeavored to help Jun crack out of his shell.
"Hey…" the General tapped Jun on the shoulder and got the settler turned recruit to look up at him, "Pick up your rifle. You're going for one more round."
Jun did not need to be told twice and though he fumbled momentarily for his weapon, he took position and aimed down the sights of his rifle towards the targets.
"Focus, man…Take a deep breath and focus on your target. Steady your hands. Your aim is going to be way off if your hands are shaking like they are now. Alright, breathe… Just like that and aim…Go for the same one you missed. You have a second chance but it's the last one before that raider comes charging at you…"
Jun stilled for a moment, doing his best to maintain a more acceptable composure. Bryce watched as the recruit steadied himself, keeping a likely too-tight grip on his rifle but otherwise had seemed to follow Bryce's direction and kept his gaze narrowed onto the target.
Before nerves could cause Jun to back out, the General gave him the order.
"Fire."
He steadied himself and, without hesitating any longer, squeezed the trigger. Bryce watched as the bullet hit the makeshift target somewhere below the collarbone. If a living target was not instantly killed by a shot like that, then at the very least they would be stopped in their tracks and left vulnerable for the coup de grâce.
Jun set his rifle down onto the ground once again but kept his gaze ahead, awaiting the verdict of the man crouching beside him. All in all, he could have done better but the General looked satisfied enough for the moment.
"A more acceptable performance than before but there is still plenty of room for improvement," Bryce told him with an assuring smile which seemed enough to make Jun relax and release some of the uncoiled tension within him, "Always remember to take a deep breath and focus before taking the shot. In desperate times, you have to be quick but you can't afford to be careless."
After a quick pat to the shoulder, Bryce stood up from his spot and then turned his attention to the other trainees. He gestured for Preston to get closer and listen to what he had to say as well.
"All right. Good news so far is that the rest of you seemed to have improved your aim and posture in the past days of training," Bryce congratulated sincerely. While the General came to terms with the fact that it would be a long while before any militiaman they recruited could be considered a full-fledged soldier, they were doing better than he had initially expected with only two weeks' worth of training so far, "Don't let it get to your heads though. Keep practicing at the range and maybe I'll find a more 'proactive' assignment for you folks…Because if Sanctuary ever comes under attack in the near future, it certainly won't be from catatonic straw dummies."
Some snickering was heard but Bryce kept a straight face, being quite serious about the claim he made.
Sanctuary had the potential to become one of the more prosperous settlements in the northern Commonwealth sooner or later. It was both a blessing and a curse as Sturges had cautioned Bryce that Sanctuary's possible success could also attract unwanted guests who would love nothing more than to reap the fruits of their labor by force. The prewar veteran had already anticipated that the settlement would need some form of defense and worked to ensure that every particular base would be covered.
"Now then…Any questions?"
"No, Sir," Jun and the rest of his group all confirmed in unison.
"Very well… you're all dismissed for today."
"I gotta admit, they're shaping up quite decently," Preston said to Bryce as everyone else dispersed from the area, "Even Jun is doing a lot better than I thought at first. Still, he could do with a pep talk or two to keep his head on straight."
"Like you?" the General shot a quick glance to his second-in-command.
"I guess Jun and I are a bit alike after all," Preston admitted with a brief chuckle. The two men walked a short distance over to the driveway of the nearest house, the Langley's home if the prewar veteran remembered correctly. Their car was still parked there, now a rusted carcass of what was once a 2077 Corvega…Not like they could have moved it anywhere in the chaos that erupted moments before the bombs dropped, no matter how stubbornly Mr. Langley tried to stuff his suitcase in the truck.
"I'll soon need to take the recruits out for a bit of hunting," Bryce commented as he pulled out a cigarette from a pocket on his army jacket, lighting it up, "Maybe a quick patrol. From what I've seen, everybody in the settlement here owns a gun and know some of the basics of using one. But the folks who do sign up to officially become Minutemen need some extra hands-on experience if they're going to wise up against any threats the Commonwealth could throw at them like more raider gangs."
"Or Gunners…" Preston added, his even-tempered expression contorting into one of distaste at the mere mention of the mercenary organization, "I wouldn't put it past them to come up here looking to finish what they started in Quincy as soon as they learn we're rebuilding the Minutemen here in Sanctuary."
"They're certainly welcome to try…"
The General took a slow drag from his cigarette and offered his pack to Preston, who respectfully declined. He was going to have to talk with MacCready when he had the time. Remembering the sniper's argument with the other two mercenaries back when they first met, it seemed that the young man was acquainted at some point with the Gunners. If anyone could give him a little more insight into how they operated it would be him.
"Let's…not tempt fate for now," the Minuteman lightly scolded, certainly wishing that the Gunners would stay as far away from Sanctuary as possible, "On another note, I agree with giving our people better training. There's only so much they can learn from engaging a practice target before they end up facing real threats. Eventually, it's going to be up to people like us to show them how to properly respond when they end up fighting Raiders or other sorts of opportunists who'll come here and try to take what isn't theirs."
Bryce seemed a little surprised by Preston's response, learning right there that the usually quiet and agreeable man was slightly more insightful than he let on.
They decided to settle down for a few moments before going on ahead to other tasks that awaited them across Sanctuary. Bryce perched himself on a spare tire lying next to him while Preston sat down on the ground, leaning back against the rusted car.
"You're taking this to heart, aren't ya, Preston?"
Silence settled among them as a thoughtful gaze crossed Preston's features. The General started to feel a little worried since he meant the question as a small jest. He didn't expect the Minuteman to look so sullen immediately and was about to apologize when Preston started to speak.
"You know…It's hard to believe looking at us now but the Minutemen were the main power in this part of the wasteland for over a century up until a few years back…They were the protectors of the Commonwealth. Heck, we even had a few settlements from beyond the borders of Boston flying our flag…"
"Sounds like quite the accomplishment," Bryce noted, idly spinning his cigarette between his fingers and flicking ash everywhere around him.
"Yeah, it definitely was…" his second-in-command murmured, a glimmer of thoughtful wonder in his eyes as he kept on speaking, "You know, I kind of wished I was a Minuteman back in their glory days…See the stories for myself. Back in their prime, the Minutemen held their ground against Super Mutant war packs and, if the stories are true, had supposedly tangled with the Institute on a handful of occasions and came out winning…"
"But since the past year we've barely been able to deal with the Raiders and eventually…well, we got done in by the Gunners at Quincy…"
"After that disaster, I was hoping to lead the surviving citizens and Minutemen remnants up here to Sanctuary and rebuild here. But I just kept losing people every day and by the time you found us at Concord, I was practically left with nothing. Now though…now we might have a legit chance to rebuild the Minutemen into the organization they were meant to be…"
Preston sighed, realizing he suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed by his sudden rambling, unsure if the General was bothering to listen anyway. It wasn't like anyone out here was going to play the role of therapist or the friendly ear that listens. He turned slightly to look up towards the vault dweller and admittedly felt a little relieved that Bryce looked thoughtful instead of put off or annoyed by the Minuteman's woes.
"So, yeah…I guess I am taking this to heart," he concluded, answering the General's initial question.
Bryce simply nodded in acknowledgment as he took one last drag from his cigarette before tossing it aside. He may not have had a more astounding response to Preston pouring out his dreams and burdens but it felt more appropriate than resorting to clichéd platitudes. After all, he could understand, in some small ways, where the Minuteman was coming from.
"Empires rise and empires eventually fall…" a gravely drawl caught both men's attention and they both turned to watch Nick Valentine approaching them, "It's happened hundreds of times throughout humankind's history…for better or worse…"
He was not alone however. Stepping alongside the synth detective were Piper and Arianna. Along with Nick, the Diamond City journalist had left Sanctuary sometime after Bryce had requested of them both to investigate any further clues about the Institute as well as dig for some information on the Brotherhood of Steel and Railroad factions. The vault dweller figured they would be the more sensible choice to complete that task due to their respective occupations and inquisitive tendencies.
Arianna, on the other hand, had left the day before with some Minutemen to scout out the Starlight Drive-In, taking on Preston's previous suggestion of turning it into a potential settlement for their people. She flashed a smirk to her husband as she approached him and sat down on the same tire where he was sitting, gently shoving Bryce to move over and give her some room.
"Hey, honey. I take it everything went well?"
"So far, so good, cariño," Arianna answered, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder before trailing down and sneaking her fingers into the pocket where her husband kept his cigarettes, "We didn't find too much trouble at the drive-in except for a couple of mole rats. Willis and the rest of the squad stayed behind to set up a recruitment beacon and gather whatever materials they can scavenge to start up a settlement there-Aha!"
The sniper suddenly proclaimed victoriously as she snatched Bryce's cigarettes from his pocket. He let out an amused scoff and she stuck her tongue out at him before offering one to Nick and Piper, who were quite satisfied with the offer.
"I found these two on my way back…" Arianna explained before taking a swift drag of the cigarette. The bitter smoke caused to release a sputtering cough and Bryce gently patted his wife on the back until she felt better, "Ugh…I've never really gotten used to smoking..."
"Reminds me of the time you tried one of those Cuban cigars…"
"Don't remind me of that. I felt like I was going to choke on my own lungs after I tried one of those things!" she chided, waving her hand in a frantic gesture as she spoke.
"So…" Piper spoke up, looking to steer the subject. She had a particularly gleeful smile plastered on her lips as she got the couple's attention, "We held up our end of the bargain. Now, how about that interview you guys promised me in exchange?"
"Not now, Piper" Nick scolded the Diamond City journalist before the couple could respond, "I know you're eager but you can get your interview later. Remember what we're here for before we get off track…"
She flashed a slightly pleading look towards the vault dwellers, but Bryce simply shook his head with a half-smile.
"You'll get your interview. I'm not backing down on my word," the General assured her, "But let's get this out of the way first."
"…Right, okay…" Piper groaned like a child who had been denied her favorite sweets. While pouting her lips in disappointment that she would have to wait a little longer to get the interview she had been particularly giddy to start since the past week, she asked, "Is it all right to talk here or should we take it somewhere more private?"
Bryce did not respond immediately. He simply looked towards the street of the old community, watching as settlers went back and forth throughout the Sanctuary, carrying tools or farming equipment for whatever task they had been assigned to.
"I doubt we have to worry about being eavesdropped," he responded as he tossed away his cigarette and slowly stood up from where he had been sitting, "But a small change of scenery would be nice."
"I'll stay behind then if you don't mind, General," Preston said as he stood up as well from the ground he had been sitting on, "I'll watch over everyone here…Make sure things are running as smoothly as they can."
"Suit yourself, Preston. Send Dogmeat to find us if you need our help. We won't be too far anyway."
The Minuteman hummed and tipped his hat to the group before turning and heading towards Sanctuary's vegetable patch. Bryce gestured for the rest to follow him as he stepped towards the cracked road of the old settlement.
"Come on then. Let's have a chat."
…
They had gathered around the Minuteman statue outside of the bridge to Sanctuary. Bryce sat at the statue's base, eyes momentarily clenched shut as he rubbed his temples. Arianna sat on the ground beside him, knees drawn up as she gently rested her head on her husband's knee. Piper was on the ground as well, in a particularly comfortable patch of grass across from Ari while Nick was the only one who opted to stand around.
"I should have known better that things wouldn't be smooth sailing from here on out," the prewar soldier said, exhaling a brief sigh, "But I had been hoping for some straightforward answers for once."
Bryce did not refer to Nick and Piper with his lament. He knew the investigative duo have done all they could in the little time he had given them. He had been referring more to the targets of their investigation both of whom left plenty of questions more than they provided answers.
It had been a few minutes since then, where the detective and the journalist briefed them on what they had found on both the Railroad and the Brotherhood of Steel. There was not much information to share on either of them, unfortunately, as they both explained. Like the Institute, the Railroad seemed to have adopted similar cloak and dagger tactics that keep them shrouded in mystery for many of the Commonwealth's citizens while the Brotherhood apparently were not very forthcoming with their intentions.
Bryce had hoped that maybe one or both organizations would be of valuable help to him and Arianna (and the Minutemen to a certain extent) but from what little information he had processed, it all felt like a mixed bag.
"No one has it easy out here in the wasteland…" Nick muttered, sympathetic to the couple's predicament but also, "Come to think of it, there was definitely no easy living in the prewar era, if the old memories in my head are anything to go by. You two would know that."
"Oh, I know, Nicky," Arianna said as she suppressed a yawn. She was starting to feel slightly drowsy, having taken little more than a cat-nap while she was away at Starlight since the day before, training a different batch of recruits and getting them to secure the drive-in, "I just wish something would go our way for once, no strings attached."
"Hey, you guys got Kellogg," Piper tried to assure them, "We all worked together to get rid of an Institute-paid mercenary with no moral scruples once and for all. That's gotta count for something…Right?"
"I wish…" Ari dejectedly sighed, "We rightfully killed the bastard but we don't have Shaun and still have zero clue on how to find the Institute. He took his secrets to the grave and threw us back to square one."
Nick had seemed to tense a little when the prewar woman mentioned that last part but nobody else noticed. He shook his own thoughts away and turned to give Bryce his attention as he began to speak.
"True but we'll just have to take our victories as we get them, no matter how small they may be…"
"And as for the Brotherhood and the Railroad… Judging from what you both have gathered, both sound like a fifty-fifty chance of either being quite helpful or quite detrimental to our cause."
Piper had given them the rundown on the Brotherhood of Steel, a paramilitary organization hailing all the way from the Capital Wasteland (formerly Washington, D.C as the prewar couple just learned) , having arrived to the Commonwealth in a show of force with the apparent intent to wage war with the Institute (Apparent enough to the prewar couple and their companions since they had quite the view of their airship outside of Fort Hagen.)
It begged the question from both Nick and Piper: What could the Institute have possibly done to catch their attention all the way from the old nation's capital?
In any case, it seemed the Brotherhood boasted considerable strength to go ahead and challenge the Institute. Such power and pseudo-military discipline would be a considerable boon for Bryce if he and the Minutemen were somehow able to work together with them.
However, he became aware that the Brotherhood had, as the journalist so colorfully described, 'a hard-on for all things technological'. He did remember the paladin from Cambridge explicitly stating that under normal circumstances he would have confiscated the Institute weapons and equipment they had looted from the synths at ArcJet, only ignoring said protocol as a way of giving thanks for their help (Or perhaps he had every intention of confiscating them anyway but didn't want to take his chances…Alone and fatigued from battle as he was at the time. Bryce definitely knew a few power armor weaknesses he could have exploited if the paladin had tried anything against him or his wife).
A militaristic group hoarding all sorts of technology and deciding who had the right to possess anything of value, even if it could help the wasteland at large…Such an idea did not sit well with the Anchorage veteran.
"Hard to argue with that right now," Piper said, "Although the Brotherhood do sound like the only ones here who could give the Institute a run for their money…Buuuuut their attitude and the way they carry themselves like they suddenly own the place gives me the gut feeling that they've got other ideas and having the Commonwealth's best interest in mind isn't one of them."
"Or maybe they behaved like that because of your charming personality, Miss Wright" Nick jabbed with a wry smile and he continued to speak before the indignant journalist could open her mouth again, "But I wouldn't entirely dismiss her caution. It leaves me wondering if the Brotherhood wants to battle the Institute out of a genuine desire to bring them to justice and make them answer for their wrongdoings or if this war is just a means of monopolizing every bit of tech considered valuable in the wastes."
"I say we make an effort to keep an eye on their movements while maintaining a certain distance from them to avoid any incidents," Arianna nonchalantly suggested, already knowing that her husband was no doubt thinking of a similar idea, "If they've set up shop at the old airport like we suspect, then they're a lengthy distance from where we are now."
"But they also have Cambridge, which isn't too far from here," Bryce mentioned, "Hopefully they're too busy getting their bearings together to get too close to us yet."
"Which then brings us to the Railroad…" Nick began, "How do we approach a certain group of people who seem extremely paranoid even of their own shadows without us getting shot in the foot for it?"
Unlike the Brotherhood of Steel, the Railroad sounded more like a wildcard in the Commonwealth. While the former practically announced their presence with the entrance they made, the latter apparently kept a low profile…or as low as it can be. Not many people were aware of the Railroad's presence, believing them to be just as much a myth as the Institute.
Even Nick, as skilled a detective as he is, was barely able to get any meaningful information on the elusive group, relying instead on reading through some of his old case files regarding isolated but coincidental incidents that suspiciously involved the Institute. Those same reports provided slightly enough details to give a glimpse that a separate party was out in the wasteland waging a shadow war against them.
The only solid clue Nick was certain of was the same phrase that Arianna had heard back in Diamond City; Follow the Freedom Trail. The sniper had been curious if the clue was referring to one of Boston's better-known tourist attractions from the prewar days. The path that curious out-of-state visitors, proud Bostonians, and aspiring history buffs followed as they ventured through all the landmarks dating back to the Revolutionary Era. The State House, Faneuil Hall, Bunker Hill, The Old North Church…
Perhaps she would sit down with Nick sooner or later and discuss the matter extensively. Knowing him, he might have similar suspicions filed away in his mind.
"We start by figuring out this whole Freedom Trail mystery going on with the Railroad…" Bryce indicated, finding no other logical explanation that would help them here, "Then, we see if they can be of any help to us. They have to be if they've really been fighting against the Institute this whole time."
"Perhaps they could help but right now we don't know where the Railroad is based, what numbers they have or what their particular M.O. is aside from apparently being a thorn on the Institute's side," the detective reminded.
"I dunno about you guys but I'm pretty sure they're not going to be happy if they find outsiders like us snooping into their operations," Piper advised, "And then there's the collateral damage that tends to happen every time they get into a scuffle with the Institute…"
"I don't like the sound of that to be honest…The collateral, I mean…" Arianna said, slightly shaking her head with a frown of disappointment etched on her lips, "But I'm certain a lot of people are going to get hurt when we fight the Institute either way…"
So many what-if's, so many factors to be wary of…With every second that passed by and more thinking he got done, Bryce realized that this was becoming much bigger and more complicated than simply starting a personal mission to rescue his and Arianna's son. At this rate he was probably going to draw up convoluted diagrams of ideas on how to get to the Institute and find Shaun.
No. Think carefully. One step at a time.
Bryce had thought it out already in the days Nick and Piper had been out on the road doing the favor he asked of them. As much as he wanted to find a way to meet with the Brotherhood and the Railroad and get some form of audience with their respective leaders, he suspected they would be unlikely to help him and Ari right off the bat, not even out of sympathy for their lost child. Plenty of people have been kidnapped by the Institute for decades…What was one more unfortunate loss?
He needed to find some way of indirectly catching their attention while minimizing any possible risk of both organizations getting in the Minutemen's way. Properly leading the Minutemen and helping them grow to a similar point like they were in their prime would be a start. Perhaps only from a stronger and more influential position than they were in now would the others listen to what he had to say.
It was not a great or perfect idea but it what was a start.
'There is definitely no smooth sailing from here on out…'
…
The couple had retreated into their home in the late afternoon to discuss their next step. Options were, unfortunately, extremely limited and most of them seemed to run the risk of stretching what few people and what little resources they had now to the breaking point. Not a good sign when they haven't even started their work for the Minutemen.
Success, however, depended on sheer luck and how well Bryce and Arianna could keep the Minutemen out of everyone's radar until the time was right. They hoped that having cleared out the Raiders from Concord, Lexington and the old USAF station would buy them some time and prevent other raider groups from heading north to prey on the settlers that have made a home for themselves in the area.
Arianna sighed in frustration, sprawled across the torn and weathered 200-year old couch as she stared up at the ceiling. Meanwhile, Bryce sat on his favorite but similarly ancient recliner across from his wife in a slightly hunched position as he studied a makeshift map of the Commonwealth which had been spread out across the coffee table.
"I think we should follow Preston's request and contact Oberland Station next," the General casually suggested without breaking away from the map he was looking at.
"The location's ideal to build up a defensive outpost there…" Arianna agreed, though a thoughtful expression crossed her features, "But we haven't even started setting up a foundation for the Starlight Drive-In. Isn't it a little too soon to move farther south?"
Bryce pursed his lips and clasped his hands together, resting them under his chin as he contemplated the thought. She had given voice to his earlier concerns that had crossed his mind barely a minute ago.
Moving too quickly without establishing proper structures or defenses in the areas they already claimed could mean disaster real quickly for the militia they were both working to revive. And they couldn't afford to spread themselves too thin when they barely had the numbers to be considered functional yet.
Running a squad of soldiers was easy, at least for him. Building an army from practically nothing and running it was an entirely different matter.
"Preston insisted we help the settlers there as soon as possible," Bryce explained, "A raider gang's been harassing them and the people there are worried that the next time they come back, they will try for something worse than simply running off with their harvest."
"We get rid of the raiders and we get Oberland Station to join the Minutemen's cause…And we gain perhaps what could become a foothold for further expansion into whatever's left of Boston in the foreseeable future."
"Not to mention we'll be a short distance away from Diamond City so supplies shouldn't be too much of an issue so long as we can scrounge up the money," Arianna added before sighing wearily and placing another tack on the map, "Risk and reward…though I feel we're taking risks every hour of the day…"
"Tell me about it…" Bryce murmured, taking a deep breath and tilting his head back on his chair. His gaze fixed squarely on the ceiling above him, he said, "Makes me wonder what advice Roger would have given me if he were here…"
Before Arianna could answer, the door to their home slowly creaked open, catching the couple's immediate attention. They relaxed a little when they spotted the familiar sight of their loyal robotic butler floating just outside the doorway.
"Ah, apologies Master and Mistress Kendrick. I did not mean to disturb you," Codsworth spoke as he hovered into the old household, "I simply thought you both must be parched by now…Would you care for some suitable refreshments?" He offered as he extended his robotic arms to reveal a can of purified water in each of them and held them out for his masters to take. Bryce reached for one and the robot butler then went towards Arianna who also accepted his offered beverage.
"Purified Water?" she said while looking over the can, "You sure it's clean enough to not provoke something funny in either of us?"
"By heavens, no!" the Mr. Handy responded, sounding shocked and almost offended at the mere thought that he would bring his masters consumables of poor quality, "This water has come from the pumps that Mister Sturges had recently built and thoroughly cleansed and processed through my built-in purification system that still runs efficiently even after two hundred years! Only the best from General Atomics after all."
"Oh, Codsworth. I was only messing with you," Arianna teased, moving on the couch into a seated position, setting aside the document she had onto the table before moving her fingers to open the can. Her husband did the same and ended up chugging half the can in one go.
"It's not so bad after all. Quite refreshing, really."
"Ah, it pleases me to hear you say that, sir!" Codsworth could have glowed with happiness upon seeing the satisfaction of his masters. The robot found it to be wonderful to once again be able to serve them like he did 210 years ago and the desolate decades in between were almost a distant memory now that he had the both of them here in Sanctuary.
"Should you require anything else, you simply give the word and I'll be ready to serve!"
"Thanks, Codsworth," Bryce said after finishing his water. He crumpled the can and tossed it into a wastebin nearby, "We'll let you know if we need anything else."
"Certainly! I'll be…Oh, it seems we have a visitor."
Codsworth swiveled his circular body around as his sensors picked up footsteps from behind. The robot seemed visibly relaxed when his lenses focused on the new guest and confirmed it was Nick Valentine.
"Ah, Detective Valentine! How are you this fine evening?" the butler cheerily greeted as he moved a little to the side to allow his masters a view of the detective.
"All good at the moment, Codsworth," he responded as he stood by the doorway with his hands in his pockets, "I would have knocked but door's already open. Mind if I come in anyway?" the detective asked as he awaited permission, just as polite and mindful of his manners as his prewar counterpart.
"Of course not…As long as you don't get bored of us staring at a map for the next hour," Bryce waved at him to come over. Nick accepted and took a few steps into the couple's living room but had yet to take a seat on the couch. Instead he opted to stand there as he lit a cigarette for his own use.
"Kid, you're talking to someone who spends most of their time swimming in paperwork," the detective chided with a shake of his head. The Minuteman General noticed however the lacking humor in the jest and began to wonder what was on Nick's mind right now. Especially when he directed his attention to Codsworth at that moment.
"Codsworth, mind giving us a bit of room? I need…a word in private with your folks."
"Ah, no trouble at all. I was just on my way out. If you would excuse me, Sir. Mum," Codsworth eagerly acknowledged and bid temporary farewell to the vault dwellers before turning his chassis around and hovering away. He gently shut the door behind him as he left without waiting for a request, granting the trio the privacy that Nick apparently wanted.
The three lingered in silence for a few seconds, awaiting to see who would react or say something first. Bryce leaned forward from his recliner, stretching an arm out and gesturing to the empty space on the couch where his wife sat, granting the detective permission to have a seat. Nick accepted, though in a slightly reluctant manner at first, and moved over to the offered space.
The soldier observed attentively as the detective took his place on the couch. For someone who was so obviously made of plastic and metal, his movements were undoubtedly those of a human and not a robot. Not like those synths he fought at ArcJet with their monotone voices and programmed reactions. Whether it was because this particular synth had the memories of their family friend or it used those memories as a template for understanding human behavior…
Just like now, how Nick sat and took one last drag before snuffing it out on the ashtray, Bryce noticed some subtle movements (fidgeting perhaps?) and the uncertain look that the vault dweller could see through the detective's yellow irises.
It intrigued and concerned him.
"So…what's this about Nick?" Bryce asked, breaking the silence to avoid prolonging an awkward staring contest between the three of them.
"It's something I've been thinking about in the last few days," the detective responded cryptically though he kept his eyes trained on the vault dweller, "I wanted to mention it earlier when Piper and I were briefing you on our investigations but I thought it would be better if I kept the matter between us…"
"Nick…"
"It's better if I just get to the point. I may have an idea on how to get a lead on the Institute."
Both pairs of eyes are suddenly trained on the detective; silence momentarily settles around them once more as the couple process Nick's words. Bryce stares at him with an arched eyebrow, already curious as to what Nick may be referring to while Arianna looks at him, mouth slightly agape in surprise.
The detective notices that they have opted to remain silent, expecting him to elaborate further on what he had on his mind and so he continued.
The couple listened with rapt attention as he told them about a place known as 'The Memory Den', located in Goodneighbor. Nick was familiar with the place and its caretaker, explaining to them that aside from serving as the town's unofficial clinic, the Den provided other 'services' to those who sought them ("No, not the kind you're thinking of," he assured his prewar friends before they could question him about it).
He explained to the vault dwellers that the service the Den additionally provided involved allowing people to revisit memories of previous moments in their lives with the use of the 'Memory Loungers'. Nick found it a little difficult to explain all the details about them since even he wasn't entirely knowledgeable of the science behind it all.
"Most of the folks who request this service do so to relive happier moments in their lives…" Nick said, sensing Bryce and Arianna's curiosity, "However, a few end up 'addicted' to it, for lack of a better term. Some find too much comfort in the good moments that they become unwilling to face the harsh realities of wasteland life once more."
Being able to revisit the more pleasant moments of one's life to escape the bitter reality that most, if not all, people likely faced out here… Bryce could agree with the detective that clinging too much to the past was not an entirely healthy way to pass the time but given his experiences in the prewar world and what he's seen of the postwar world so far, he could understand why others found the temptation too strong to resist.
"I guess I understand how they work…sort of," the vault dweller spoke up. Though the detective's explanation of the Memory Den was all well and good and Bryce was already piecing together where Nick was going with this idea, there was still one particular wrench thrown in the works that needed to be addressed, "But how will this help in bringing us a step closer to the Institute? It's not like we can shove Kellogg into one of those pods to read his mind since, you know, he's dead."
"I know," Nick responded rather quickly, already anticipating his friend's response. However, he was unsure of how they would both react once they heard the next bit of detail, "But here's the thing. We may not need the man at all…We just need his brain."
The vault dwellers were stunned into silence in that immediate moment by his outlandish suggestion. Not that he should have expected any different when he himself wondered what the heck had gone wrong with him when the idea suddenly popped in his mind.
And if he was to be honest, even he wasn't certain how Dr. Amari, the caretaker for the Memory Den, would react to him showing up with two prewar strangers carrying the brain of a dead mercenary to her doorstep.
This would likely be taking it a step too far, further than she was probably comfortable with.
"I'm not sure I heard you correctly, Nick," Arianna was the first one to speak up after the brief quiet, "Did you just suggest we go get the brain of the dead dickhead who kidnapped our son and handed him to the Institute?"
"That's correct."
Husband and wife turned their gazes away from the detective and towards each other, doubt clearly written across their faces. The idea was already strange enough but having to go all the way back to Fort Hagen to pick through Kellogg's remains already a new level of weirdness (and gruesomeness) to it. They weren't even sure if they would find the merc's body, or brains for that matter, entirely intact and not because of the bullet Bryce had fired into Kellogg's head.
It has already been two weeks since they killed him and by that time, a dead human body was already well underway it's decomposition process.
"I guess we're going to need an ice cream scoop for this one," Bryce joked, falling back onto humor to mask his uncertainty over this bizarre idea.
"Alright, now that's just fucking gross."
"I won't deny that this is a rather grisly idea," Nick stepped in, attempting to ease Arianna's discomfort, "…And whatever you choose to do after this is all up to you. But if we get a breakthrough, then we might possibly discover a shortcut in our search for the Institute."
The couple sighed, realizing the detective was not entirely wrong. If this 'Memory Den' could somehow help them see into Kellogg's memories, there was no doubt they would find everything they needed to know about the Institute right then and there. The man worked for them, most likely had access to wherever they were based in and for quite a long while if the reports they read at Nick's office was anything to go by.
"And you're certain this could work?"
"…Not a hundred percent certain," he answered truthfully after a beat of silence, "But Dr. Amari may be our best shot at this. I don't know of anyone else in the Commonwealth who could match her knowledge of neuroscience and the human brain in particular but if there's someone who has a chance at digging out Kellogg's Institute-related secrets, it's her."
The former Anchorage soldier trusted Nick's instincts but he still held doubts over how this could possibly work. He just didn't think that a half-rotted chunk of brain from a deceased mercenary would be of any use at all.
But they were practically out of options…However, if this provided an opportunity of a shortcut to finding the Institute, and most importantly, finding Shaun…
Making his decision, Bryce wordlessly got up from his chair and turned towards the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Arianna sat quietly while Nick wondered what was running through both their minds.
'Perhaps heaping this on them was a mistake. Goodness knows they're dealing with a dozen other things that have fallen on their laps as well…'
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Bryce's heavy footsteps as he returned, carrying a duffel bag.
"Gear up, Ari. We're going back to Fort Hagen," he said as he set the bag on the table and unzipped it, revealing its contents.
"You're going now?" Nick asked.
"It's been two weeks since we left that place, so we really can't afford to idle around," Bryce rummaging through ammunition and armor pieces. He began to strap pieces of leather armor onto his fatigues while Arianna sorted through whatever ammo they had in there.
He picked up his shotgun, loading a new magazine into before strapping it to his back. Arianna picked out a few clips of ammo before she stood up from the couch. She didn't even bother to change out of her flannel shirt and jeans into her vault suit or army fatigues, simply strapping leather armor pieces as best she could before heading to their room. She came back with her scoped rifle strapped to her back and a 10mm pistol she had holstered to her hip.
"That's some heavy preparation right there," Nick said, watching them as the couple finished gearing up and Bryce zipped the bag close.
"It's a long walk back to the fort. No knowing what kind of trouble we might run into along the way," he responded.
"I could come along with you two if you need the backup," the detective offered.
"Thank you, Nick, but you've done enough for us so far," Arianna politely declined. The detective had been a huge help ever since he had returned to Diamond City and she believed that Nick was deserving of a break…Or at least some time away from them to deal with his own responsibilities, "We'll get Dogmeat and someone else to watch our backs."
"Ari's right, Nick," Bryce agreed, "You helped us out enough already. We'll take it from here. In the meantime, you should probably head back to Diamond City before your secretary starts to worry again."
Nick wanted to insist on helping, mostly out of some sense of responsibility. He wanted to think that they were all in this together ever since he and the others worked together to hunt down Kellogg and now he had suggested they collect his remains if only to see if they could find another way to divulge the secrets the mercenary took to his grave.
"I'll leave you to it, if that's what you want," he conceded, "If you find anything related to what we discussed, then drop by my office at Diamond City and we'll head on over to Goodneighbor from there."
"Will do," the soldier curtly assured, straightening out his armor and double-checking to make sure he had everything he needed for the trip.
"Then in that case, I'll take a head start," Nick said as he stood up, adjusting his hat and coat before turning to leave the house.
"Are you going to be all right walking to Diamond City at this hour? I don't want you getting snatched and locked up in a vault by another group of mobsters," Arianna asked in a teasing tone though the look of concern in her eyes was quite evident.
"That was a one-time thing only. Fat mob bosses and crazy, bat-wielding broads aren't my type," Nick humored her, drawing a chuckle from both husband and wife, "But I'll be bringing Piper with me just to be on the safe side. Can't have her pestering your people here for interviews. Besides, she hasn't her little sister in over a week, so it would be best to make sure the kid hasn't gotten herself in the sort of trouble she can't handle on her own."
"Right…" she responded, though she still looked a bit worried. Nonetheless, Arianna brushed away her concerns and gripped the strap holding her rifle, "We'll see you at the agency soon."
Nick tipped his hat to the couple before leaving the Kendrick's home as they finished their preparations. Minutes later, he was back on the road again with Piper in tow, having practically dragged her away from her attempts at questioning a hapless farmer about the settlement and what they knew of the vault dwellers.
"Soooo…couldn't help but notice you looked up our popsicle friends before leaving," the journalist said, more as a statement instead of a question, as they passed through Concord.
"So I did," the detective vaguely answered. It was useless to deny anything when it came to the Commonwealth's biggest snoop but that didn't mean he wasn't going to have a bit of fun trying to push her buttons. A few beats of silence passed as the detective knew she wouldn't stay quiet for long. And just as he anticipated, the reporter opened her mouth again.
"Oh, come on, Nick! What did you guys talk about?!"
"If I shared my client's information with everyone I meet, then I wouldn't be a very good detective, would I?" he retorted.
"Alright, let's put it this way…" Piper continued, refusing to drop the subject, "I'm the reporter and you're the detective who's handling the big case of the missing child of two vault dwellers who may or may not be from two hundred years ago if the vault they came from really had experimented on all that cryo-jumbo…"
"Cryogenics," Nick corrected.
"Whatever. Look, you've got memories of a prewar cop, right? Didn't you…or old Nick or whoever get pursued by journalists looking for answers in those times?"
"More than you know…" Nick murmured. Flashes of Nick Valentine's prewar days shuffled through his mind one after the other. Jenny's murder. The Eddie Winter case. All the news media sending out their journalists who kept shoving microphones to his face looking for answers, comments or anything that would just give them a boost in ratings…
"Not many journalists in those times did their work in honest fashion though…" the detective added as he shoved aside his sudden thoughts. It was all a can of worms he didn't want to be opening anytime soon, no matter how much Dr. Amari tried to coax him into seeking someone he could share his issues with. Not many people he could trust and the few he did would hardly understand his predicament anyway, "Most of them were more interested in speculating and spinning gossip to sell more papers and gain ratings instead of actually searching for the truth."
Piper remained quiet for the moment, taken aback by his statement. Was he referring to her? Sure, her methods were brash and a bit unorthodox, but she didn't start her paper just to gain approving readers. She did it because she wanted to share what people should know about current events, regardless if they hated her for it because most of Diamond City's citizens wanted to continue living in a bubble where everything was fine and dandy and that there wasn't chaos and suffering outside the walls of Fenway and that there was no such thing as the Institute lurking around, ready to snatch their next victim…
"Jeez, Nick…I didn't-"
"You didn't know…" the detective finished for her, "And you didn't mean it either. You're just doing your job."
"…Yeah, I guess-"
"But you're not like many of those old-time journalists, Piper," Nick cut her off again, "You actually care about your job. It's why you're so brazen and pushy to the point you strike a nerve in a lot of people. You care that much about keeping some semblance of integrity in a career where not telling people what they want to hear will guarantee enemies…"
"Oh, come on, Nicky. Where did you get all 'proud-dad mode' all of a sudden?" the reporter shyly asked, slightly flustered and embarrassed of the praise she was receiving from the detective. Nick didn't immediately answer her question though. Instead, he decided to at least throw her a bone just this once.
"I'll share as much as I can, though you'll find the subject just as uncomfortable as they did. And I'm only doing this under the condition that you keep it to yourself. Any personal questions about them, you'll have to take it up with them when you get the chance to start your interviews."
Nick let a small smile escape form as Piper practically beamed at him. Although he was quite certain that she wasn't going to be all smiles when he tells her about the idea he had pitched to Bryce and Arianna about using Kellogg's remains.
Still, he would give her this small victory for now.
Either way, it was going to be a long walk home.
…
A/N: Well, it's about time I got around with this, huh? It's been a while and I would have updated sooner but I didn't like how the original chapter turned out, so I ended up spending an additional month rewriting a large portion of it. I think some of you might feel like this was a filler chapter though, since I was mostly going for a bit of character interaction over moving the plot along, so progress will be slow and steady.
Also, the last scene was sort of a sudden addition, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity of Nick being the 'Dad' of the group. I like to think he would be the closest thing to a surrogate father-figure to Piper (and by extension, Nat) if given the chance.
Thanks to all who continue to patiently follow this story and don't forget to leave reviews and feedback if possible.