In the Commonwealth:
"Nora!" Maxson yelled as loud as he could, feeling his vocal cords straining, "Nora, wake up!"
He had no idea how long he'd been left unconscious and tied up in the chair, but he wasn't going to simply sit in this room and wait for the end to come. It wasn't long after he regained consciousness that he realised their captors were gone, though he had no idea if or when they were going to return and he was doing everything in his might to get himself and Nora out of this mess while they still had a chance. So far he only managed to loosen his bindings a little; he needed a free set of hands to set him loose.
"Nora, for the love of God, wake…up!" he panted from exertion.
After a few moments she finally began to stir; her arms moved first, then feet, legs, and eyes blinked open as if she'd just been rudely woken from a deep slumber.
"Wh…What?" her groggy voice echoed in the room, "Arthur?"
"You have to get up Nora", Maxson pleaded, "I don't know how long we've been unconscious or how much longer we have until there is another wave of attacks, but you have to get up!"
"I'm…ugh, I'm awake", she stumbled to her feet, feeling her heart pounding in her chest and head. Whatever was in that serum that Chase shot her with was leaving her with a throbbing headache and chills throughout her body.
"I think I saw the handles from a large wire cutter in that corner", Maxson pointed with his head to his left.
"On it", Nora's groggy voice replied, and she moved in the direction Maxson was guiding her to, her legs wobbly and eyes blinking rapidly, willing herself to stay awake, "Found them".
As quick as her legs would carry her, Nora rushed back to Maxson and started cutting the chains wrapped around his muscular body. Within a few moments he was free and on his feet.
"Let's get out of here", he scanned the area, eyes open wide in the dimly lit room, "This way, through the hallway".
Before Nora had a chance to protest and inform him of the back exit, Maxson firmly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her with him, up the short steps and through the doorway into the dusty catacomb hallway. Nora never liked going through the Railroad's main entrance, not since she and Piper were attacked by ghouls the first time they came looking for the faction of synth sympathisers; though with Maxson's large stature right beside her she felt more at ease. Not long after they were outside in the cold pre-dawn panting with exertion and concern, the steam from their breath hanging in the still cold air. The chill of the cold early morning air was like a smack in Nora's face, waking her up from her drugged grogginess and clearing the fog out of her mind.
"I gotta get to the harbour!", she said after a moment when her memories of the events before she was knocked out came flooding back.
"What are you talking about? Our first priority is to get back to the airport", Maxson said, a slightly patronising tone in his voice.
"No, you don't understand. When we were down there, before I was knocked unconscious, she said she was going to wait at the docks", Nora shook her head, "I'm going there, you can go back if you want".
"Who are you talking about?" he turned around to face her, an annoyed look in his features.
"Chase. The Courser who captured us", Nora started making her way to the docks, following the edge of the river with Maxson reluctantly following behind.
"Wait! You know her?!" there was an accusatory tone in his voice.
"Unfortunately, yes", Nora gave a curt nod, "I met her when I was in Far Harbour. She used to be a Courser for the Institute until she defected, but then when we first met she was different… Everything was different back then; before the Brotherhood destroyed the Institute and then proceeded to bulldoze over everyone who didn't fit neatly into their standards". Even though she didn't mean for it, there was bitterness in Nora's voice.
"There was another member of my team, the co-pilot of the vertibird that flew us into supermutant territory. She was unconscious but alive when we crashed, I remember carrying her before…"
"Before you were knocked out?" Nora asked.
The look in Maxson's eyes turned from confusion to worry, "Yes". He stopped in his tracks, realising that they had to split up to get to the bottom of the matter, "Go, find this Courser. I have to get back to the airport and do damage control. We lost a lot of men and women in the last mission".
"Alright", Nora exhaled, her eyes darting toward the horizon that was getting brighter, "You do what you have to do; I don't have much time, I have to go".
"Hey! I expect an update when you're done", Maxson called out behind her, as if he had forgotten that he wasn't her commanding officer anymore.
"I'm not one of your soldiers anymore Arthur. But thanks for your offer to help", she replied sarcastically.
Without another word, Arthur turned back and ran in the direction of the airport, using the sight of the radar tower as his guide back home while Nora made her way to the docks.
Panting from exhaustion and strain of running several miles Nora finally reached the docks, by which point the sun was already slowly rising above the horizon.
'Don't be late, please don't be late', she thought to herself as she hurriedly descended the concrete steps to the wooden platform and made her way down the dock. There were several boats around, none of which appeared to be in working order.
"Shit", she hissed, frantically scanning the docks for any sign of activity, "Where are you Chase?"
A few moments of panicked silence later and Nora could hear the rumbling engine of a ship approaching the dock. Nora squinted in the early morning light to see if she could spot the captain, but the glare on the glass window prevented her from seeing who it was. When the boat made its approach closer to the dock and Nora could hear the engines throttle to slow its approach, the door to the abandoned and decrepit old world dock café opening and slamming shut behind her made Nora jump and take a defensive stance.
"So, you made your decision to join up. Wise choice", Chase nodded.
"No, I came to stop this", Nora answered back determinedly.
Chase laughed as if it was the most ridiculous thing she'd heard someone say, "You can't stop what is about to happen Nora, nobody can".
"Why is DiMA doing this Chase? There is no reason for this massacre; if you go through with it, you'll only prove what people in the Commonwealth think about you and other synths".
"Enough", Chase's tone was not amused, "If you're not coming with us, then you better go say goodbye to your loved ones. You don't have a lot of time left".
The boat came to a stop near the dock and a boarding platform was extended for Chase.
"Chase stop!" Nora yelled, but the Courser paid her no attention and moved to board her ride.
"I'm coming with you!" Nora called over the sound of the straining boat's engine.
"Go home Nora. There's nothing for you at Far Harbour", Chase answered absentmindedly, but Nora ignored the Courser's advice and marched herself onto the boat, taking a seat in one of the chairs without another word. Being unarmed and non-threatening in her behaviour, Chase could only sigh with exasperation and give a nod to the captain of the boat to make their journey back to Far Harbour.
"You know, not even your stubbornness will be able to persuade him to change his mind", Chase took the seat opposite Nora, keeping her keen eyes on her.
"I don't know about that, I can be pretty persuasive when I need to", Nora answered with determination, "especially since I have everything to lose, and you don't".
"Hmm, good point", the corner of Chase's lips curved up in a half smile, "You do realise that if you don't succeed in changing his mind you won't be allowed to leave?"
The thought did cross Nora's mind briefly, but she couldn't allow herself to focus on that. Before the world ended she was a damn good lawyer and speaker, able to convince the most stubborn of judges and juries to see things in a different perspective; she would have to use all of her skills now with DiMA to convince him to spare the Commonwealth.
"Yeah, I know…" Nora nodded solemnly, "I made my decision".
"Alright, I just don't want you coming to me begging to come back for any unfinished business", Chase answered in amusement, getting back onto her feet and moving to the radio next to the captain, no doubt to send a message to Acadia about their anticipated arrival.
Nora gazed back at the Commonwealth as the boat made swift progress out of the river and into the open sea, the early morning mist hanging low to the water and land. Her chest ached with dread and sorrow and her mind swam with memories of the past, what she could have done differently that might have prevented this conflict from ever happening; but just as soon as it started, Nora nipped it quickly in the bud as hot tears threatened to stream down her cheeks. No, there was no use in crying over how things turned out; the bed was made a long time ago and now they all had to deal with the consequences. All she could do now was hope that she could convince DiMA and the rest of the synths in Acadia to spare countless thousands of people in the Commonwealth, and hope that this wouldn't be the last she would see of the town and people she had come to know and care for.
Several miles off the coast of the Commonwealth, DiMA stood on the rooftop of Acadia with his trusted associate Farady. The sun had risen over the horizon almost an hour ago, but still there was no sign of the explosion going off.
"I don't understand… It should have detonated by now", Faraday squinted, looking for any signs of an explosion in the distance.
"Yes, it should have", DiMA gave a curt nod, "It must have been intercepted".
"I'll reach out to our contact…see if he has an explanation".
"Very well", DiMA turned to him, "But if it was intercepted, we will have to contact Cole at the Church. It might be time to put those launch codes to good use".
A shiver went down Faraday's spine at the thought of launching nuclear weapons on the Commonwealth using the weapons from the Children of Atom.
"Are you sure that's necessary?" Faraday couldn't conceal the hesitation in his voice.
"It may be inevitable", DiMA answered in his calm tone, as if this matter was nothing more than a simple culling of a few radroaches.
"What about the others? The ones who never made it to Acadia? They're still out there somewhere in the Commonwealth".
"It is unfortunate, but we are left with no other choice. There are so few of us left here, we have to preserve what is left of us".
"DiMA… I don't like this", Faraday shook his head, a pleading look in his eyes, "This must be a sign… Surely there must be another way? We could try contacting some of the factions to open up a diplomatic dialogue with them and prevent a disaster from happening…"
DiMA examined his friend and gave a small reassuring smile, "My dear Faraday; your compassion for others is commendable, and it's a trait that I most admire about you. With Liam Binet's recent failure to replicate his father's work in producing new synths, I'm afraid that makes us a dying species… With the Institute and their technology eliminated, we have no reliable way of creating more synth life. And with this…built in disease that our people have been suffering with over the past decade, we've lost so many of our own", the toll of the loss over the past decade was visible in his artificial expression, and Faraday knew that sinking feeling all too well. "No, there is no way to reason with extremists. The Brotherhood are the dominant faction in the Commonwealth, and there is no way to get past their hatred and distrust of us. This is the only way".
Faraday's mournful gaze drifted to the horizon, to where the Commonwealth was hidden behind thick fog. He knew there was truth in DiMA's words and in the past he had never steered them in the wrong direction; but something about all of this was making him second guess not only his own beliefs, but also his trust in DiMA. Who was to say that the destruction of the Brotherhood wouldn't give rise to a more sinister faction, one that would be hell bent on eliminating any and all synths in retaliation?
Heaving a weighty sigh, Faraday retreated into his observatory room and half-heartedly resumed his surveillance of the video footage on the screens. Recent events that have transpired and DiMA's newfound approach was worrying; he wondered if it had anything to do with the latest memory re-integration that was carried out, merging his lost memories back into his mind. He made it a point to carry out a diagnostic on DiMA's heuristic algorithms afterwards when the observation room would be empty and he could work without having someone snoop over his shoulder.
X6-88 patiently stood by Liam as he listened to the argument that was unfolding in the living room of the Cabot House. They had been arguing on and off about Liam's efforts to create synthetic life, more specifically Liam's insistent request to use Jack's resources – the Artefact - in a last attempt to create Gen 4 synths, ones which would effectively be immortal. However, Jack Cabot was insistent in his refusal.
"I've explained to you time and time again that I cannot allow the Artefact to be used in this manner Liam! How many more times do I need to repeat myself before you register the message?!"
"Can't, or won't allow it to be used?"
"Both!" Jack answered, "You have seen the data, and you saw what the Artefact does to the human mind"
"Human yes, but not a synth mind".
"You don't have any proof on that claim".
"Neither do you".
"Enough!" Wilhelmina's voice rang from the top of the stairs, "You two have been bickering over this nonsense for days!"
Both Jack and Liam were taken aback by Wilhelmina's abrupt interruption. In all of their discussions and quarrels about methods and experimentations to create new synthetic beings, she had refrained from giving her input on the matter, preferring to remain as far removed as possible; until today. After days of bickering, and with having to tend to Emogene, Wilhelmina couldn't stand to hear one more second of it. The men tried to argue their case to her but were silenced with a wave of her hand.
"I don't want to hear another word of this. Liam, the matter about the Artefact is closed. I am sorry dear boy, but our decision is final; the Artefact is much too powerful and costly for any one person to handle. I know, I've seen what it can do to a man's mind first-hand", she said with a deep sadness in her eyes that made Liam feel guilty for pressuring them so hard.
"I apologise… I shouldn't have pressed you all with this", he nodded reluctantly.
"And Jack, you promised you would help the young man with his research!" Wilhelmina's voice took a more scornful note, "I have barely seen you lift a finger to help. Instead you've holed yourself up in that lab of yours, moping about that new serum of yours".
"Alright mother! I hear you", Jack exhaled in frustration, "I'll… Be more proactive with Liam".
"Good", the older woman gave a nod of approval, "See that you do. Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have to go attend to your sister".
As soon as Wilhelmina disappeared up the steps and was out of earshot, Jack and Liam's shoulders slumped and they looked at each other as if they were two children who were just reprimanded by their mother.
"Well… I suppose we better get to work then", Jack spoke hesitantly.
"What work? Without our subject present we're at an impasse", Liam rubbed his aching temples, "It's been over 2 weeks and there's no sign of her. Even X6 couldn't find her".
"We should still keep searching for her Liam", X6 answered in his cool level tone, "I stand by my original assumption that she is in hiding somewhere in the Commonwealth".
"And yet you haven't been able to locate her", Jack answered plainly, "No… That woman's long gone".
"I wouldn't be so quick to make that conclusion", X6 took a few steps closer to one of the Cabot family portraits and examined it with a bored intrigue as he continued speaking, "Over the past several days I have been receiving some…interesting information".
"What kind of interesting information?" Liam asked hesitantly, "X6… I hope you haven't been in contact with Acadia…?"
"No, my communication with Acadia ceased when we received their last transmission, with demands for Maya to be turned over to them", X6 answered truthfully, "The information I came across originated in the Commonwealth, from the Brotherhood of Steel".
"The Brotherhood? I don't understand", Jack asked bemused.
"I was doing a routine check for covert transmissions and came upon a signal. Intrigued, I followed it until I came upon what I thought were abandoned warehouses near the airport. It was then that voices started coming up through the static and as I approached the epicentre of the signal, I found a Brotherhood Knight in one of those warehouses, relaying a message to his fellow soldiers. This wasn't out of the ordinary as there are many Brotherhood transmission stations all over the Commonwealth but, what intrigued me was the messages that were being sent. They spoke of another faction of the Brotherhood being in the Commonwealth, a faction they thought had died out".
"Which faction? Did you manage to hear the message?"
"Yes doctor, they spoke of evidence of an underground bunker that was spotted by the Gunners at the edge of the Glowing Sea, and of supplies being dropped off every month or so by covert means. The name Lyons was mentioned several times in the transmission".
"Lyons?" Liam's brow furrowed in confusion, "I don't think I've ever heard of that name before".
"No, not many people outside of the Brotherhood, or the Capitol have; but the name does carry a significant weight to it, so much so that every Courser was given detailed briefs about the Lyons Pride".
"So, this other Brotherhood group is here? In the Commonwealth?"
X6 nodded in affirmation, "Arthur Maxson's soldiers are on their way now to the rogue bunker close to the Glowing Sea. They are travelling on foot so I estimate that they will not arrive until early morning tomorrow. I plan on following them, see what they uncover".
"No, it's too risky", Jack shook his head, concern burrowing itself into his brow, "You could get spotted, it could lead them back to here".
"In all the years I have spent carrying out reconnaissance missions, I have never been caught. I can assure you Dr, that no one will even know I'm there", X6 replied coolly.
"We should let him do this Jack", Liam stepped up, "This sounds big, and if there really is another Brotherhood faction in the Commonwealth then a confrontation between them and Maxson's Brotherhood might have the potential to cause disruptions for everyone. We need to find out what they're up to".
Jack was still dubious about this whole matter, but after a bit more persuasion from Liam he relented; reluctantly.
"Alright, fine", he threw his arms as if he was casting the matter away from himself and setting the burden squarely on Liam and X6, "You find out what you can. But if you are found, do not come back. I will not have you endanger my family".
"Very well", X6 agreed, "I will leave after sundown and report after I have gathered my information".
With that the group dispersed as Jack went back up the stairs to his lab, X6 went to prepare for his reconnaissance mission and Liam was left to his own devices; but none of them were aware that their conversation was being closely overheard in the entrance hallway.
Hunching over by the side of a tree in the cold and dark November morning, Maya wiped the spittle off her mouth with a kerchief and took a deep breath in, holding it until her queasiness subsided. At 4AM it was still pitch-black outside, and an uncomfortable misty rain was blanketing the Commonwealth as far as the eye could see. A lump had been stuck in her throat over the past 24 hours, ever since the team got back from their secret mission and rushed Boone to the infirmary without saying a word to her; it was taking every ounce of energy in her body not to break down into a sobbing mess. Boone was going to die, this much was confirmed to her by the doctor at the base and Daniel himself. She begged and pleaded with them to find some way to help treat him, but it was no use. The only thing they could do for him was dose him with as much Rad Away as his body could handle in an effort to ease his symptoms and prolong his life; though even with that they estimated that he could have a month or so left to live. To add insult to injury, she couldn't touch him to offer any kind of physical comfort for him due to his exposure; not until he went through thorough decontamination. Lesions had already forming on his fingers and hands; in the coming weeks his condition would get worse, his body will break down, and when he's lying on his deathbed there would be no drug that could ease his pain.
"… It's all my fault", she whispered to no one, remembering Boone saying they could leave anytime she wanted. All she had to do was say the word…but she hesitated. And for what? For a glimmer of hope of seeing Sarah again? That wasn't going to happen now with another threat looming very close to their doorstep.
Her fists clenched painfully and the lines in her brow deepened with a fury she didn't know she had, cursing herself for her stubbornness.
The crisp sound of footsteps disturbing the leaves and twigs behind her brought her to attention, wiping away her tears and straightening up her posture.
"I said I want to be alone", she answered in a low and raspy voice.
The footsteps stopped about fifteen feet from her; from the sound of their gait she didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"I know, I just thought you might want a coat. It's bitterly cold out", Chuck's rough voice answered behind her.
"I'm fine, but you need to leave. Now". Though unintentional, there was a threatening tone in her voice.
After a few moments of silence, she heard Chuck's boots head back to the bunker with the ground crunching beneath his weight. He wasn't wrong – it was bitterly cold outside, but Maya was too distraught and too tired to surrender to it. Giving herself a few more moments to gather herself before heading back inside, she made the decision that they would be leaving this damned city before nightfall. She still held out hope that help could be found in the Mojave; and most important of all, if it came down to it, she wasn't going to have Boone die so far from home.
Making her way swiftly down the stairs in the bunker and into the infirmary, she found Boone sat up on the edge of the bed in the corner discussing something in hushed voices with Daniel nearby. They promptly stopped as soon as they saw her walk into the room and attempted to behave casually.
"Oh! Good morning", Daniel said in a tone that was too cheerful for Maya's liking, given the grim situation they found themselves in.
"Unless you've found a way to help Craig, then no, it's not a good morning", she said sternly, "Pack up, we're going back to the Mojave".
"What? When?" Daniel's expression turned to surprise.
"The sooner the better. Today if we can. Get the Vertibird ready, I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to".
"Maya, wait", Boone called, reaching out an arm to stop her, "I thought you wanted to stay and see Sarah again?"
Maya paused but didn't turn to face them, her hand firmly on the door, "That's no longer my priority".
"Hey! Come on now", he sprung out of his seat and held the door closed, "There's no sense in going back to the Mojave now. It's a long trip and there's no guarantee that Daniel will find something that'll help me in the Mojave", he turned to Daniel with a look of plea on his face.
"That's right", Daniel picked up on the queue, nodding in affirmation, "And given the current situation in the Commonwealth, I think it would be better if we stayed".
"Why?" Maya pressed, turning to face both men, "We don't have any obligations here. In fact, ever since we got here we've found nothing but trouble, even more so than we did in the Mojave".
"That's true… but after what just happened with the threat of a nuclear weapon going off, who is to say that will not follow us back West? Whatever is going on here we need to do everything we can to help. Not only that, but they're your people and they need you now more than ever Maya", Boone responded.
"My people?" Maya chortled in amusement, "My people wouldn't be so distrusting of me… my people would be honest and open about what the hell is going on".
"You're being too hard on them Maya", Daniel interrupted, "These folks have been through more than others, having to fend off enemies at every side and, on top of that, dealing with an organisation that kidnapped and replaced people with synthetic versions to gather information and infiltrate factions. I don't know about you, but if I had to live in an environment like that I would be distrusting and suspicious of newcomers as well as my own friends and family".
Even though she wanted to argue his points, Maya knew that he was right; she hovered with her answer, shifting her weight from side to side. Boone could sense that she was uncertain and on edge.
"Could you give us a moment Daniel?" he turned to their friend.
Daniel's gaze shifted from Boone to Maya and back again, an uncertain glance in his eyes as he relented, "Sure… I'll be in the common room".
As soon as Daniel left, an uncomfortable silence enveloped Boone and Maya. Neither one knew how to start or what to say to make the other feel better, they just knew that there was a rift between them that was growing bigger with every passing moment.
"I'm sorry Maya", the words flowed out from Boone after a while.
She shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Maya?... Please… I don't want things to be like this".
"Like what?" she retorted but he could hear the shakiness of her voice.
"I don't want there to be this rift between us", he continued, "I know you well enough to tell that you are upset with me".
"I'm not upset with you", she shook her head adamantly and her voice broke, but Boone could that wasn't completely true.
He heaved a heavy sigh, as though he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and without uttering another word he approached her and lovingly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close and feeling her heart beat fast through her clothing.
"I'm not upset with you Boone", her voice broke, "I'm upset with myself… This is all my fault".
He felt her hot tears fall on his arms.
"There is no way on Earth that this is your fault Maya", he pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head, "No way".
"Yes, it is. After I recovered, we could have left. You even asked me what I wanted to do; I should have said we go back to the Mojave, back to our lives… But I hesitated. I was selfish."
"No, no you weren't, you're not", he consoled her, "You're the most selfless human being I've ever met Maya".
"If I hadn't suggested we stay, we wouldn't be in this mess now… You wouldn't be…", she turned to face him, an inconsolable expression in her eyes that made him feel as if he was being ripped apart from the inside.
"Listen, I'll make you a deal", he whispered, feeling the muscles in his throat close up, "We're gonna get out of this thing, together; but you have to promise me something".
"What?"
"Don't run away from this", he gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, "These people need you, more than ever. Whatever is going on here, we need to help them figure it out. I've spoken to the other soldiers here about what's going on, and this mess can very easily spread to our home in the Mojave. That is, if it hasn't already".
"I don't care what's going on here, Craig. I care about you!"
"I know", he felt his eyes welling up with tears, "But this is more important than what we want. I don't want what's happening here to follow us back to the Mojave; not if I can do anything to help it".
Maya pursed her lips and wiped the tears from her face with the edge of her sleeve, "But if we stay here… We don't have Daniel's lab, and no way to help you".
"I know, but who is to say we can't find something here? There is still the chance that we might find some cure in the Commonwealth, a serum or something that was developed by the Institute", he said, a forced smile on his lips even though he himself knew it would be a long shot at best.
"Alright…" she exhaled, rubbing her temples as she tried to think of what to do. She didn't want to stay in the Commonwealth, but a part of her wanted to find a way of helping Boone. Although she instinctively wanted to get back to the Mojave as that was a place where she had come to see as her home, there was a seed of hope in her mind that they may, if they're lucky enough, be able to find something in Boston that could help Boone.
"So… I guess we stay then; and figure things out on the fly".
"It's what we do best", he winked.
Maya couldn't help but reciprocate his smile, even though her heart felt like it was being torn to pieces with grief. He was right though; she and Boone worked best when they had to think on their toes and solve problems on the go. Time, however, was not on their side. None of them really knew how long Boone would have until the effects of the radiation exposure took their toll; Daniel estimated a month, two at best with doses of the life extending serum he had developed specifically for Boone so that the aging of his cells would be slowed.
They held each other for a moment, taking comfort in each other's presence and for a time it felt as if the world stood still and they had all the time they could wish for to be together; that was until a heavy handed knock fell on the door.
"Boone, Maya, you better come upstairs", Daniel's voice called behind the door. By the time they opened it to see what was going on, everyone in the bunker had gone to the top level.
"I wonder what's going on?" Maya asked out loud, listening to the buzzing voices upstairs.
"From the sound of it, it must be good news", Boone answered hesitantly, following behind her as they climbed up the three flights of stairs.
At first they couldn't see what was going on from the crowd, but after a few moments Maya swore she heard a familiar woman's voice.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Chuck's voice boomed behind them and they all flinched, turning to face him.
"It's nice to see you too, Chuck", Sarah Lyon's exhausted voice came from the centre of the crowd.
"Sarah?" Maya called out in surprise and the crowd separated just enough to give her a glimpse of the last surviving member from her long-lost family. Standing at the foot of the entrance door, Sarah Lyons stood with Cross by her side. Dressed in a dark grey scout's uniform, her blonde hair was dishevelled and Maya could see faint wisps of steam emanating from them both. They must have ran all night to get to the bunker.
"Hi Maya", Sarah said with an exhausted but exhilarated sigh, a wide grin on her face as she rushed to her and both women locked themselves in a tight embrace, "Cross said you were here but I couldn't believe it until I just saw you".
Maya chuckled, feeling fresh tears streak down her face, "I'm surprised at you! Cross never lies".
Sarah nodded and laughed, and after a moment gently pulled away from her embrace, "There's… someone else I'd like you to meet". She stepped to the side and motioned to Cross. It wasn't until she saw movement behind Cross's frame that Maya realised there was a third member in their party; a child.
"Owyn, come on. Stop hiding behind Cross, there's someone I want you to meet".
The young boy hesitantly emerged behind the safety of his protector and came to stand slightly behind Sarah.
"Maya, I'd like you to meet Owyn… my son", Sarah looked down at the boy, kneeling next to him, "and Owyn, this is your great great great grandmother. Her name is Maya".
"Hah!" Maya exhaled in surprise, her eyes shifting from Owyn to Sarah. The boy had light brown hair and the same steel grey eyes as his namesake, "I uh… This is a surprise".
"I know", Sarah smiled and nodded, "We'll take some time and I'll catch you up on everything".
"Yes, we definitely will", Maya nodded and reluctantly gave her some space as the rest of the members began to crowd Sarah and Cross with questions of their journey and events that led up to their need to flee. She moved back to stand beside Boone, feeling his arm wrap around her waist.
"Looks like you don't need to wait anymore. Sarah's come to you", he said, watchfully observing the people as they milled and moved down to the common area.
"Yeah…", Maya sighed, "Somehow I have a feeling this is just the beginning though".
"The beginning of what?"
"I'm not sure", Maya felt a chill spread through her body, "But I have a feeling we're about to find out soon enough".
Meanwhile in the Mojave:
After over a decade of being out of the military, a choice he had made when he and Boone decided not to renew their contract with the NCR, Manny decided that it was time to join back up. Dressed in the best fatigues Major Knight could procure for him at the Mojave Outpost, and his red beret in hand, he was sent on his way after he recovered from his ordeal at the hands of his kidnappers. Although Major Knight had promised Manny that he would get to the bottom of it and find whoever was responsible for his abduction, he couldn't shake the feeling that the perpetrators were long gone and that he'd never find solace with that mystery. Even so, he was eternally thankful for the Major who helped him get through one of the toughest periods in his life. Over the weeks during his recovery, their friendship had blossomed into something more… something Manny had not expected, especially seeing as he never thought he'd find himself having feelings for anyone like he had for Boone. Major Knight had been the light in the darkness for Manny and the week before he was to go to McCarran for his posting was one of the happiest moments in his life. In the most unexpected place, love had blossomed between the two men and Manny was utterly torn when the day came for him to deploy. If it wasn't for Knight's promise that he would write him every day and visit as soon as his next three-week leave came about, Manny would have refused to go.
Now he stood at the base of the entrance to the NCR outpost at McCarran airport, his apprehensive gazed focusing on the damaged sections of the base. The walls were blackened in many areas and sections of the walls were missing, almost as if a high energy explosive had gone off inside.
"What the hell happened here?" he whispered to himself, stepping forward and banging on the metal door to the entrance. A viewing panel on the door opened and two serious eyes stared back at him.
"Name and identification papers", the NCR soldier demanded behind the door, his eyes examining Manny as he reached for his paperwork in the inside pocket of his jacket.
"Vargas, Manny", he answered, handing the soldier his identification papers which the soldier quickly accepted and after a few moments of Manny waiting outside the main gate, the door finally opened with a deafening screech, making him wince in pain.
"Sorry for the wait sir, we have to check everyone's paperwork thoroughly since the incident", the soldier ushered Manny inside, promptly closing the gate behind him.
"What happened here?" Manny asked, looking around his surroundings and at all the exhausted personnel that were busy milling about doing their jobs.
"We, uh… Had an incident about a month ago. Large explosion from an unknown device destroyed the aircraft bay area".
"McCarran was attacked?! By whom?" Manny asked incredulously. Ever since he joined up in the NCR he had never heard of the base suffering such a crippling blow.
"Honestly we don't know. Analysis of the evidence doesn't point to any known faction in the Mojave".
"Could it have been the Fiends?"
The soldier's brow furrowed and he shook his head, "No, no way they would have the knowhow to make such a device, much less do the dirty work of anyone else. Besides, the Fiends have been all but eliminated around these parts".
Manny couldn't help but wonder who or what could have dealt such a critical blow to McCarran as the soldier escorted him at a brisk pace to General Hsu's office. The base was buzzing with action even more so than he remembered in the past, from soldiers doing their daily exercises to engineers attending to the needs of the base and caravan traders bringing in new supplies of food, water and medical supplies. A lot had changed since he was last here.
"Base sure is pretty active for this time of the day", Manny commented while keeping close to his escort. He noticed many new faces and several soldiers, or mercenaries, that were dressed in a faction uniform he'd not seen before. "Say, those aren't our own soldiers, are they?" he nodded to one of them practicing sparring with an NCR ranger.
"That there's a Brotherhood Knight".
"Brotherhood?!" Manny almost choked on his words.
"I imagine the General will give you a full update on that", the soldier answered as he guided him inside the airport and down the wide corridors to Hsu's door. With a formal salute he left Manny and hurried back outside to tend to his own duties.
Manny took his beret off and heaved a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Come in", the General's familiar voice came from inside the room and Manny obeyed, confidently striding in to stand by the General's desk, his papers to hand. Given the age of the facility, Hsu's office was kept relatively well and orderly, if a bit cluttered with paperwork that was neatly stacked on and around one section of his desk.
"Ah, our returning recruit", Hsu smiled when he saw Manny's face, "Welcome back Vargas, I trust you had a safe and speedy trip to the base".
"It was fairly uneventful, sir", Manny gave a nod, "A couple bloat bugs and ferals after we left the Outpost, but smooth travelling after that".
Manny had briefly met Hsu before leaving the NCR, but he was a man you would never forget. Now in his early fifties, his once jet-black hair turning salt and pepper around the edges, General Hsu was still a handsome and distinctive figure. Manny always knew that he would be promoted to General, the title just seemed to fit a man such as himself.
"That's good to hear", Hsu motioned for Manny to take a seat in the free chair just opposite his desk, taking Manny's papers and examining them, "Hmm, let's have a look here. I see you've been in somewhat of an unfortunate circumstance recently".
Manny's throat closed a bit and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the memory of his kidnapping resurfaced, "Yes, sir".
"I'm sorry to hear that", Hsu looked up at Manny, a soft sincere expression in his features, "We have been in communication with the Mojave Outpost. I'd like to reassure you that every NCR base is on alert and the investigation is still ongoing to find the perpetrators and we will keep you apprised of any developments".
"That's… that's good to hear, Sir", Manny exhaled slowly.
"That being said, if you require any assistance, medical or otherwise, or to take some time off-"
"Thank you, sir, that is very kind; but I'm alright", Manny interrupted him, "I'd just like to get some semblance of my life back, I want to make myself useful".
"Hmm", Hsu gave him a curt nod, "I can understand and appreciate that". To Manny's relief, he didn't dwell on the matter any longer, "Well, all your paperwork is in order. I will get this processed for you and, in the meantime, if you're up for it there's a mission I thought would need your keen eye".
"Yes sir", Manny sat up straighter in his chair, eagerly listening to his General's mission brief. It was a simple task of helping escort several Brotherhood of Steel scribes and soldiers to their destroyed bunker and keeping a watchful eye for any suspicious activity. Manny gladly accepted, finding this new arrangement with the Brotherhood fascinating and exciting. He'd heard stories from travellers about accounts of the mysterious faction popping in and out in the Mojave, but he never believed them. Now he had the chance to learn more about them.
"I won't let you down, General", Manny stood up from his chair and saluted Hsu.
"Good luck! And Godspeed", Hsu reciprocated his salute and dismissed him.
With that, Manny left the General's office and made his way to the barracks to drop off his belongings. He had some time to kill before he was due to rendezvous with the rest of the team, so he decided to explore the base as much as he could until then. There were a few old 1st Recon buddies of his that were still stationed at McCarran and he was eagerly looking forward to catching up with them, and for a brief moment he felt like his troubles and worries were far away.
