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Member: Paladin Frank Gerard
Service Number: 10033555
Date of Birth: 12-24-2250
Date of Death: 04-27-2280
Place of Death: I-15 Raid Sector 33
Chapter: West Coast
Duty Stations: Hub Watchpost 001, San Francisco Watchpost 003, Lost Hills
Noted Engagements: I-15 Raid Campaign, Reign of Terror, New Reno Interference
Tech Recovered: G.E.C.K Unit, V15 Surface RF Signal Beacon, Limit 115 Live Sample
Archive Submission: Journal Entry

09-13-2278

Yesterday was interesting, and only because of a conversation I had with my long time bud after a successful raid. We've been hitting the NCR caravans pretty hard lately, and I got roped into this mission east of New Reno. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the NCR anymore than the next guy, but I was hoping for a recon mission to that "Divide" place we've been hearing about. Apparently, something happened there a while back and we still haven't been able to check it out.

Anyways, our mission has been simple enough. We've been out here for weeks cutting down the caravan traffic heading towards NCR territory. We've gotten some useful stuff, but not a lot that we're interested in. Even though our mission stands at just cutting the bear's veins, we still gotta keep an eye open for anything particularly shiny. Most of the traffic has been going south from the wild north, but yesterday we sacked a unique caravan going west from the no man's land east of Broken Hills. I thought it might be a caravan from that New Canaan place way out there, but we haven't seen any caravans marked by them in at least a couple months.

Sifting through the wreckage, I did the usual thing with the team and gathered up some energy cells, and basic robotic parts. Although, the caravan didn't seem to be packed for that. What made this one unique, aside from its route, was that there was a giant shipment of books. We pulled off four different footlockers, three of which were packed to the brim with these magazines titled, "Wasteland Survival Guide" written by some chick named, "Moira Brown"

Paladin Sanchez flipped through one, and I watched over his shoulder. There were some useful bits in there, useful for Vault Dwellers maybe. Everyone in California knows how to boil and DECON water. Everyone also knows how to create a stable township, at least more so than the book's listing, "Rivet City." We did learn that a decent place to find books is the "Arlington Library" if I happen to stroll 3,000 miles one day. Also, what the Hell are "Mirelurks?" Half the shit in there didn't apply to anyone out here, and we checked the back of the book to see a note to an unnamed lab assistant and coauthor. Then, Sanchez read deeper, these magazines came from out east in that Capital Wasteland place. I wouldn't be surprised if our brothers out there co-wrote it themselves. Damned charity cases.

So, three of those crates were full of kindling, but the other seemed more interesting. Inside the fourth footlocker were a bunch of old books. One was called, "Talmud", "Torah", "Quran", and "Holy Bible." I was alone with that box and the squad just assumed it was more of those "Guides" so they went about their business as I looked through it. I think I heard mention that these books were for old world religions. I figured this caravan made a stop at that New Canaan place because every word I heard about it says it's run by strange religious folks.

Taking out the top one, "Holy Bible" I flipped through it. I was pretty smart as a Squire and Knight; I definitely had the mind for a Scribe, but I couldn't make heads or tails of most of the sentences or words in the thing at first glance. It was like that time my wife gave me that old "Shakespeare" book, saying that it'd make me more "Romantic" since my anniversary plans were less than that. I flipped through a chapter called, "Proverbs", and it had some interesting bits, but I suppose I didn't get it based on old world standards.

I'm something of a speed reader, and read through a few chapters of the "Old Testament" and I think I got the gist: Don't piss off this book's "God." Then, I read some of the "New Testament" and I think I got that down too: Try to be like that "Christ" fella. Anyway, I was interrupted by Paladin Taddeo who snatched the book out of my hand.

I turned around to my bud who said, "What's this? Looks like one of those New Canaanite books."

"Think the caravan might've stopped there on the way west." I said, feeling confident in my supposition.

Then, I added, "You've seen one of those New Canaan books before?"

He shrugged in his suit and said, "Yeah, ran across a missionary from there a couple years ago. Those folks are fair and all, but their religion is kinda whacko."

Being somewhat familiar with that book after skimming it, I asked, "How so?"

He flipped to a random page and flashed it at me before saying, "You expect me to believe some dude survived all that shit, died, and disappeared from a tomb? Ha!"

I had no reason to speak in favor or against the book, but I considered his words and spoke plainly as I considered my little understanding of the Proverb section, "I don't think everything in there is supposed to be literal, I think you gotta find the meaning in it."

Paladin Taddeo stared at me blankly and I spoke again, "Here, let me see that thing."

He handed me the book and I thought out loud, "I read this thing in here that sorta made me think about us… Where is- Ah! Here we are! 'Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' Interesting, huh? Haha!"

I could feel his confused expression even behind his helmet. Paladin Taddeo clearly didn't get it… and I wasn't sure if I did either. He said what I thought he would, "I don't get it?"

I asked Taddeo, "Isn't that sorta what we did? The Brotherhood, I mean?"

He stared at me again, and I said, "During the bombs, we quote: 'Shut up the words, and sealed the book!'…"

The Paladin didn't say anything, and I couldn't read him. So, I continued, "Many ran 'to and fro' after the bombs. They still kinda do. So, knowledge increased! With us, I mean…"

I watched him for a moment before he said, "I don't know if it 'Increased' since we just collect knowledge of the old world-"

I interrupted, "And then our Scribes expand upon them, the Knights build them, and we protect them. Haha!"

Paladin Taddeo finally lost interest and said, "Whatever, man. All I'm saying is, I didn't see nothing in there about how to build nuclear shielded fuses for plasma grenades. So, that book doesn't seem too relevant to our mission."

I shrugged. Perhaps he was right. What good is an old book about morals, God, and old kingdoms when our mission is to live in the present to protect the old world? We ended up finding a few odds and ends, and even a schematic for a scaver's wet dream called a "Railway Rifle" that could be a fun project for the Knights back home. We kept the "Survival Guides" as kindling for a fire, and maybe even a trade with some idiot wastelander. I wasn't sure what we were going to do with those old religious books, but when we arrived at our camp, I got to thinking.

Has our mission always been this? If not, what changed? What was the point of collecting tech and being so powerful if we aren't held to any other standards than our own? Where would the idea of being accountable only to ourselves lead? The world around us has stopped "Running to and fro" for the most part, and our biggest enemy is one that has done a lot of good for the wasteland (Objectively speaking). Maybe I shouldn't have looked into that book; perhaps there was a reason the old world turned its back on those books before the bombs fell. The old world was already so grand that it didn't need to hold itself to any "Godly standards." Can't say for sure what went wrong, but I'm sure it wasn't the fault of some bearded guy sitting on a cloud, and I can't help but think the Brotherhood lost some of its original focus.

[The Brotherhood has not lost any of its focus. The Brotherhood has always protected the old world's past because of Roger Maxson's decree. We are the only ones able to understand technological dangers left in the world, and that fact looks unlikely to change in the near future – Head Scribe Wisner (LH)]

Legacy: Recovery of Paladin Frank Gerard's journal entry lead to a brief period of interrogation and probation shortly after his return to Lost Hills upon completion of his team's Op on 08-01-2278 through 10-20-2278. After his probation, Paladin Frank Gerard continued to serve with distinction until his unfortunate death during the I-15 Raid Campaign on 04-27-2280 due to an arrow inflicted cranial injury.

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*This entry was an homage to "A Canticle for Leibowitz" By Walter M. Miller Jr. that served as the original inspiration for the Brotherhood of Steel. "Brother Francis Gerard" was a devoted monk in the first act, who perishes in a similar way hinted to in the Legacy (Spoiler, sorry). Then, Paladin Taddeo is inspired by the second act's "Thon Taddeo" who was completely indifferent to the religious motives of the abbey, and only interested in the tech and knowledge they collected. Check out the radio play on Youtube, it's really good, and great to know that story inspired the BOS! Thanks for reading!*