Kasumi put her hands on her hips, her eyes sweeping over the twin beds, the sparse coffee table, and the little chair. DiMA had provided them a shared room to use during their time here, promising he would be back in a few minutes to take them to dinner, giving them some time to settle in and unpack.

It was clear that a bedroom wasn't the first choice this room was used for. They must've just moved the beds in. A few crates remained by the doors with tarps hastily covering them. If she had to guess, it could have been used as an equipment room pre-war. Still, the thought was nice. She hadn't been away from home…well, ever really. It was comforting to know there was a place for them to rest.

Shaun collapsed on the twin bed to her right, fanning his limbs out over the mattress. Dogmeat jumped up on the bed, placing his head on Shaun's torso.

Kasumi checked the door. Huh . Provided with locks. There was some privacy allowed to them.

Behind her, she heard Shaun giggling. She turned, finding that Dogmeat was licking his face. They made eye contact. Kasumi walked over to her side of the room and sat down on the mattress. She could feel a spring sticking into her leg.

"Well? What do you think?" Kasumi asked, her leg bouncing. "Do you like it here?"

Shaun sat up, scrubbing a hand over his hair. "Um, I think so," he said. "I can't believe Acadia is in a real observatory. Do you think they have a telescope that still works?"

Kasumi huffed, shrugging. "I dunno, it's pretty old." She stared up at the ceiling, watching a stray drop of water build up and splash into a bucket below. "I wonder what the other synths are like. I hope they like us."

Shaun considered this. "Well, I like you."

Kasumi chuckled, but couldn't help it. Shaun's positivity could be infectious. "Thanks, Shaun. I like you, too."

Shaun swung his legs over the bed frame, scooting closer. "Did you see all those computers DiMA was hooked up to? Those were kinda funny looking, huh?"

"Yeah, I mean, there's got to be loads of data. What do you think is in there?"

Shaun shrugged, "Stuff for DiMA, I guess? Maybe the older generation synths need more hard drives."

Kasumi frowned, wrapping her hands together. She stared at her boots. DiMA seemed nice, she told herself. He was calm, his voice was soft, and he'd been nothing but kind and hospitable to the both of them. He gave them a room and offered them to come to dinner later.

Yeah, DiMA was nice. But she could tilt that either way, put a different spin on it. Maybe he was too nice. At least way too nice to have survived out in a place as crazy as this. Maybe it was nerves, paranoia building after days of her expectations building and building like a large wave rising out of the sea and crashing into the shoreline.

"Kasumi?" Shaun asked, bringing her back to the moment. "Are you okay?"

She blinked. She adjusted her eyes, noticing that Dogmeat was at her side whining at her. She petted his head, rubbing his fur down. "I'm fine. Lost in thought, I guess."

There was a sudden rap on the door.

DiMA called out: Dinnertime.

Shaun watched as the synths greeted each other, slapped shoulders, and laughed with each other, as they sat down to eat. A sting of panic wrapped around his chest and clung there. He wrung his hands together wondering how to join. Shaun never found talking with strangers particularly easy, especially not in groups. He tried to get a sense of the group. They were all adults; bespeckled, bedraggled, be-down on their luck.

Just as suspected, there was nobody his age in sight. That was fair, as far as he knew he was the only child synth the institute made. If they were planning on expanding that program, it never got far enough for Shaun to see anything from it. Although, he couldn't picture that going through. Looking back on it, Father favored him. Shaun must've felt like an exciting new science project for him, a breakthrough, an endearing replica. Making any other child synth must've seemed like an unnecessary or expensive allocation.

The sound of plates clattering from the dining table brought him to reality. Food was being brought out - a hefty pot of soup with a large trail of steam coming off was doled out to welcomed chipped bowls. Rough razorgrain bread was passed out, exchanged, broken, and shared.

He thought of how Duncan would handle this. Duncan was friendly and easy to get along with. Other kids wanted to be friends with him, his personality was suited for it. Duncan was bright and roaring.

His mom was like that too. She had to be, she was a general. He thought of how she would greet new settlers into her town with big smiles and warm laughter. She could befriend people and make them love her so easily. He never understood how she did that.

Maybe that gene passed him over, maybe he was more like his dad.

Or like Father.

Kasumi bumped him with her hip. "Hey. You okay?"

Shaun looked up at her. His heart skipped a beat as he realized he must look horrified. "Uh, fine," he murmured. Shaun had never been able to hide his emotions, not once. Everything he ever felt could be spelled out on his face as easily as reading a comic.

DiMA appeared at his side and put a hand on his shoulder, Shaun looked up to DiMA who was smiling at him. He put his metallic hand on his shoulder and Shaun could feel the cold through his coat. "Walk in with me," DiMA said softly, just loud enough for them to hear. He nodded and felt DiMA's hand push against his back, walking with him to the table.

DiMA stood at the front of the table, gesturing for everyone to quiet down, the group responding quickly, laughter dying down.

"Everyone, I'd like to be the first to introduce you to our new friends. This is Kasumi and Shaun, they've just come to us from the mainland."

All eyes landed on them. A few were smiling, and some others glared.

"I know many of you remember what it was like the first time you all came here. How… strange it feels. None of us took this transition lightly or easily, so I'd appreciate it if you could all make them feel at home. Shaun and Kasumi, we're happy you're with us. Let me be the first to welcome you to Acadia. Synthkind welcomes you, and we hope you welcome us."

There were a few claps, then the conversation returned to normal. Shaun and Kasumi were seated at the table and given a bowl of soup and bread by a woman in a courser outfit. "Thank you. This is very nice," Shaun said.

"Oh! Looks like we've got one with manners," said the woman courser. "Faraday, when's the last time someone said thank you to you?"

"Ah-about the time DiMA founded this place," Faraday said.

A few of the synths jeered while others laughed. One of the men sitting next to Shaun bumped his shoulder and nodded to him. "Hey, kids. Welcome to the party. Name's Cog. How'd you two end up here?"

Shaun, between mouthfuls of soup, told them the story that led them to this point, how Kasumi and he met on the radio frequencies and wanted to find out more about the synth place. Neither of them understood what being a synth meant. They wanted to come to Acadia together.

"Kasumi's great with a radio," Shaun said. "If it weren't for her, we would've never found this place. She's good with lots of tech stuff."

Kasumi smiled, "Hey, so are you, Shaun."

Shaun smiled back as one of the synths at the head of the table spoke. Faraday said, "Good with tech, you say? Do you know anything about terminals?"

Kasumi wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Yeah. I mean, I fixed up an old television set once. The circuitry can't be too difficult."

Faraday nodded, "One of my terminals on the top floor has been too slow. I'm worried I'm going to lose some of my data. You wouldn't mind looking at it when you had the time, would you?"

"Um, sure. Shaun and I can look at it tomorrow," Kasumi said. "Right?"

Shaun nodded, feeling elated to be of use. To Kasumi, sure, but especially to someone like Faraday. From what he picked up, Faraday was one of the big wigs around here. If he helped someone like him out, the others would be bound to trust and like him too.

"Never seen a synth your age before," Cog said. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Sanctuary," Shaun admitted. He looked at Kasumi before answering. "It's back in the Commonwealth."

"The Commonwealth?" A woman's voice chirped across from them. "Oh, how I miss it! Tell me, have you ever been to Diamond City recently?"

"I went with my mom a few weeks ago," Shaun said. "She took me on my first scavenging trip."

Was that honestly a few weeks ago? That felt like a lifetime ago.

"How lovely," she said. "Is there any news from there? I've been dying to go back. Once things have settled for all of us, of course. Still, I'd love a chance to see it again."

"Nobody's stopping you, Miranda," the woman next to her bit back. She mopped up her soup with the last crust of bread before popping it in her mouth. "Hey, if you go, maybe it'll be a little quieter around here."

"Jule," Cog warned.

Jule shrugged and went back to her soup.

The rest of dinner, from Shaun's point of view, went very well. He drifted from listening to the different conversations at the dining table and storing up information. In case someone was to wonder why he was so ignorant, he didn't ask many questions. There would be plenty of time for that soon enough.

He learned that along with DiMA, Faraday and Chase acted as the official leadership of Acadia, sort of as a tribune. They took in the synths, those with mem-wipes, those without, the escapees, and the reformed and used Acadia as a sort of refuge. From what Shaun had seen, it hadn't grown into anything past a refuge. Acadia, for all its initial mystery, seemed run-down and unkempt. What must have been a glittering observatory in its pre-war days had gone nuclear, and in the centuries following the great war, molded over.

Shaun also learned that the commonwealth was called the mainland here. No one kept in touch with what happened there anymore or spoke of it too often, which explained how DiMA hadn't known about the destruction of the Institute for such a long time. However, there were stories about the Institute. Those synths who lived without their memories being wiped recalled days of living as slaves and the old man who kept chains on them all.

"Do you remember much about the Institute, Shaun?" asked Miranda.

Shaun shrugs, "a little. A lot of it is fuzzy, like specific details or memories, but I remember how I felt. I…I wish I could remember more."

"I got a nasty mem-wipe before I came here," Jule admitted. "My head hasn't stopped hurting since. I know it was to keep me safe, but I regret it now. I'd rather remember all of it than feel like my head is the weight of a bowling bowl every day. Chase has been helpful, though."

"Chase helps with your memories?" Kasumi asked. She looked down the table, but Chase was deep in conversation with Faraday and DiMA.

"Not medically or anything, but she remembers the Institute best of all. Better than any of us," Jule said. "Just speaking with her jogs your memories, makes you remember all these things you only think you'd forgotten."

Kasumi elbowed him, "Shaun, we should talk to her later," she said just below a whisper. "Maybe she can help me figure out what my dreams mean, you know?"

Shaun nodded. A part of him wanted to remember the Institute, too. He remembered just basic things; Meeting Father, being raised by the scientists, helping in bioscience sometimes, but his most concrete memory-the first one he can truly remember in picturesque form-happened while the Institute was destroyed, in the teleportation room with his mom, MacCready and the rest of the Minutemen. Surely something from that time could help him make sense of his situation now.

"In any case, we're happy you're here," Cog mentioned as dinner wrapped up. They were setting their plates away at the end of the table as he mentioned this. "We don't get a lot of new people around here, and it's nice to meet people such as yourselves. If you need anything, come talk to me okay? I do lots of supply runs for Acadia here."

"Thanks," Kasumi said cooly. "Same to you, it was nice to meet you all."

And it was. Shaun had never seen such a concentrated group of people exactly like him before and it made his heart sing; he wasn't alone. A few synths shared what it was like learning they were synths at dinnertime, and Shaun was pleased that his reaction wasn't the exception, it was normal. Anyone there could relate to how he felt.

As the synths shuffled off to turn down for the night, Kasumi noticed the big three-DiMA, Faraday, and Chase walking together toward the basement. Kasumi tugged Shaun's arm towards the corner as they watched them descend the stairs.

Kasumi raised a finger to her lips and grabbed his hand so they followed behind, quietly as they could.

Kasumi peaked her head out of the corner of the stairwell as the three passed into a room at the end of the hallway. As the door clicked shut and locked, the three began talking. It was muffled and Shaun couldn't make out a word. Still, they spoke animatedly.

"What can that be about?" Kasumi muttered.

Shaun shrugged, "maybe they're talking about us."

Kasumi turned her head back to him. "If they are, I wanna know what they're saying. I don't like it."

After a few moments of unsuccessful listening, Kasumi nodded back to him. "C'mon, it's been a long day."

That night Shaun lay on his bunk and went over the events of the day. He didn't know what to expect for the next few days or if he was in any kind of trouble staying here. He didn't dislike anyone here, but Kasumi seemed to distrust DiMA. Shaun added a few more crumbs to the stash of information he was accumulating about this new world he found himself in. DiMA, Faraday, and Chase had late-night discussions in the basement of Acadia, far from where anybody could hear them. What did they talk about? What could there possibly be to discuss in a place like this? Not much seemed to happen here, it was…peaceful. They were unbothered in a place as high and hidden as Acadia.

Now in the cool of the night, he thought of home. He didn't want to. He couldn't bring himself to think of his mother, MacCready, and Duncan. He didn't want to overwhelm himself on a day like this. He looked over to Kasumi, whose face he could barely make out in the glow of the lantern. Fast asleep on her mattress, he wondered if she would have another one of those strange dreams after coming here. Shaun curled the blanket tighter around him to get warmer, trying not to think of home.

Still, the thoughts came. When he went to bed at home, there were heavy quilts on top of soft mattresses in a home where his whole family slept. Another thought haunted Shaun then- if him being a synth meant he technically didn't have a family. Not one from blood, anyways. Not the way Duncan was tied to MacCready or the way the real Shaun was linked to mom. It was too much to think about. He switched the thought.

Shaun decided to bask in the approval of the other synths. It felt like one of the most wonderful things that had ever happened to him. They were just like him and accepted him, too. The past few days of his life felt like walking through a winding labyrinth and now he'd arrived at the end, free from the twists and turns. He had arrived on the other side of the maze in a new place filled with people who understood him.

True to her word, the next morning, Kasumi was recruited by Faraday to help with repairs on his terminal. Shaun came with her to help, Dogmeat trailing behind him.

Faraday's hard drives were complex-looking, with large texts of code glowing from its screens. Wires and electric coils crisscrossed and zagged over each other on the floor like vines. Shaun kept an eye on his steps as he carried a toolbox to Kasumi.

She tilted her head curiously and popped open the back of the computer. She frowned at the dusty hardware. "I've never seen this much tech in my life," she said. "Screwdriver."

Shaun passed her the tool. "Do you know how to fix it?"

"Yeah, I do," she nodded. "It's just in bad condition. I think we just have to clean it. It's too dusty back here. I'll take things out, and clean them. After that, I think it's just a matter of reassembling…" She trailed off and went quiet for a moment. She picked apart pieces with as much precision as a surgeon, laying them out on a clean rag for Shaun to clean. It went on like this for a few minutes. Kasumi examined and gave Shaun a piece. He, in turn, cleaned them and set them back down.

When all the pieces Kasumi deemed worthy were cleaned, she began the process of putting it all back together, explaining to Shaun her methods. Shaun absorbed it as willingly as a sponge, watching over her shoulder as she put the computer's organs back into place. As she clicked the last piece back into place, she turned it on and the terminal beeped alive; ready to take code.

Shaun tilted his head at the computer, "it's all done?"

"Not yet," Kasumi said and started typing away on the terminal. "We should probably check that files are intact."

Kasumi's eyes squinted at the terminal. She began reading some entries.

Shaun's eyebrows flew up. "Kasumi, what are you doing?"

"I want to see what's on here," Kasumi shushed him and kept reading. Shaun boosted himself off the floor and read behind her shoulder. There were several data entries about the different people on the island. The first was a file on the harbormen, and the projects DiMA was involved in for them. She clicked on a folder and scanned through the text. "Kasumi. We shouldn't be snooping. What if DiMA or Mr. Faraday comes back?"

She waved a hand, trying to get him to stop talking. "Shaun if you're so worried, just stand watch or something."

"But-"

She shot him a look. He sighed and motioned for Dogmeat to follow him. Shaun left the terminal room, sitting in front of the door, waiting with Dogmeat. He rubbed his head, scratching the dog's neck. He was so lost in playing with Dogmeat, he didn't notice the figure hovering over him.

"Oh," Shaun said, looking up. "Hi, Mr. DiMA."

"Hello," he smiled. DiMA rubbed his hands together. "I've never seen any dog so tame before. Even when I was on the mainland. All we have on the island is the wolves."

Shaun looked between Dogmeat and DiMA. "Do you want to pet him?"

DiMA shot his hands up, "Oh. I don't…"

"He doesn't bite," Shaun said. "Really! He's good."

DiMA hesitantly kneeled, sticking out one of his spidery hands in front of Dogmeat. Dogmeat looked at his hand for a moment and sniffed it. Dogmeat barked and licked his palm. DiMA chuckled and rubbed his head.

"Has Kasumi finished fixing Faraday's terminal yet?"

"Um, she's still working on it," Shaun said. "Almost done."

DiMA nodded good-naturedly. He asked, "so, how do you like Acadia so far?"

"S'okay," Shaun nodded. "Smells kinda funny, but everyone's been nice. It's cool to be around so many synths."

DiMA chuckled a little. "I was coming to see if you would like a tour?"

"Really?" Shaun said. He turned his head back to the door, realizing he was still on guard duty. Shaun supposed that if there was anyone Kasumi didn't want walking in on her, it'd be DiMA. Maybe it was a good thing he'd be distracting him. "Okay."

Shaun told Dogmeat to stay at the door as he walked off the old synth.

DiMA began in the main room, telling Shaun how after he escaped the Institute, he came to Far Harbor purely by circumstance. He had stayed in a cave for years, unwilling to move or act. It was after realizing he could be a free agent to himself that he left and found Acadia. At the time, it was just an abandoned observatory. DiMA saw its potential and thought it would work well as a home for people like him.

"An observatory always seemed like a place of introspection for me," DiMA spoke softly. "Here is a place specialized for proofs and figures, charts and diagrams. Astronomers used these places to study, add, divide, and measure. To learn about the cosmos technically. From our vantage point on the mountain, you can see the stars perfectly on clear nights. It's how I like to imagine those astronomers. Forgetting the technical. 'Looking up in perfect silence at the stars.'"

Shaun watched him, a fondness growing in his chest, something he couldn't fully understand yet clicking into place. Hearing DiMA speak felt like a warm blanket around his shoulders. "That's why you chose this place," Shaun said. "Because it's like us. People like us."

DiMA turned his head, and the bulbs around his head caught on refracted light and shone around his head. "That's right. Synths are technical beings, made in laboratories by scientists. But there's more to people like us than just science, isn't there? There's the soul, too."

Shaun smiled at him, feeling a settling in his stomach, even if he wasn't sure entirely what DiMA had meant. For the past few days, a feeling of anxiety had rocked in his core that he couldn't get out. A chopping wave without a break. Now it had cooled down. Lapping water. Still moving, but slower now.

Shaun slid his hand against a screen as dust collected on his palm. "How long have you guys been here?"

"Many years," answered DiMA. I wanted a place for synths to come that was far enough from the Commonwealth that they wouldn't have to worry about the Institute."

"Acadia was only created because you wanted to get away from the Institute?"

"Originally, yes," DiMA said. "It was to be a haven for our people. Somewhere they could go without fear. Without judgment."

Shaun pressed his lips together. "But now the Institute is gone. Do you still need to be in hiding?"

"You and Kasumi chose to come here, despite that." DiMA reminded him. "Do you need to be in hiding?"

"I'm not hiding," Shaun said. He crossed his arms together. "I just wanted to be like you guys. You all know who you are. You aren't afraid of being synths."

"And you are?" DiMA asked. He turned fully to face Shaun. He looked at him thoughtfully. "Shaun, are you afraid of being a synth?"

Shaun's heart hammered ahead of his chest. "I don't know," he said. "It's a lot to think about, I guess. I have a lot of questions about it."

DiMA tilted his head and smiled softly, understandingly. "I know what you mean," he said. "Everybody here does. If there's anything I can say to help you in your transition, I'll help as best as I can."

Shaun gulped. He could feel relief sting his eyes. "Really?"

DiMA strode over to Shaun and put a hand on his shoulder, "of course," he said.

He led them away from the main room and outside into the Maine air. The skies were clear today, and Shaun hoped it would last until the evening. He wanted to look at the stars tonight.

DiMA led him towards the border fence that guarded Acadia. Nobody was out there, giving Shaun the freedom to ask whatever he liked in complete privacy without having to worry about someone overhearing them.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "You said that synths don't age as people do," Shaun began. "What does that mean?" Even saying it now, it felt like worms and toads crawling out of his chest, but it also felt good that his questions were surfacing, at last.

DiMA clasped his hands behind his back and walked forward, Shaun following. "From my understanding, synths like you and Kasumi were made to duplicate humans. The only key differences being you don't age, require sleep, and can't gain weight."

Shaun nodded, letting it all soak in. He didn't need to sleep? That wasn't a mandatory thing? He imagined having that conversation with his mom. Duncan would be so jealous when he found out.

DiMA continued, "But unlike eating or sleeping which we still can do despite no benefits, we simply can't age like humans do. You'll age up here," he said, pointing to his temple. Shaun stared at the wires poking through. "But not physically."

It was as if DiMA had said magic words. Alakazam! His face went blank, his mouth closed, and his arms went slack. Shaun bit his lip, stunned. "Oh."

DiMA frowned. "If it's any consolation, I'm sorry, Shaun."

Shaun sniffed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay," he murmured. "I think… I might have always known that. But it's different to hear it."

Shaun looked up, trying to picture the Institute again. He thought of the two scientists that were in charge of him in Advanced Systems, the Thompsons. The woman, Dr. Janet, used to look at him the way DiMA was now. He didn't understand it then but he did now. He was as real a child as any of the other children in the Institute, but the fact that he was a synth couldn't be separated from him. It was a defining feature. A fate slated for him. Every capability of a real child except a future.

Shaun walked on ahead of DiMA, a hollow feeling in his gut. DiMA strode up to follow him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Shaun shook his head. He could feel hot tears beginning to form in his eyes and wiped them away with the back of his hand. "It feels mean," he said softly. "It feels like a punishment, and I don't know what to do about it. Because I don't think I did anything to deserve it, Mr. DiMA."

His voice broke and he used both hands to rub at his eyes. He felt young. He was young, but young wasn't what he wanted to be.

DiMA wrapped Shaun into him, hugging him tightly. Shaun, unsure what to do, let his head rest on DiMA's torso. DiMA was cold, his head clanged against his metallic chest, but it felt good to have someone there. Someone who understood what he felt.

"Shaun, is there anything I can do for you? Did you have more questions?"

Shaun smiled up at him. He always had questions. He nodded his head and DiMA kept his hand on his shoulder continuing to walk forward with him. "This feeling you have isn't final," DiMA reminded him. "It's not bad knowledge. It's just knowledge."

Shaun considered that. "I didn't find out in a good way," he said. "My mom knew I was a synth, but she kept it to herself. I had to find out from a holotape. I wish I had heard it from her first."

DiMA said nothing, only letting him continue. "I didn't feel ready," Shaun admitted. "It was really scary."

"I bet it was," DiMA agreed.

"There's another thing about it that makes me nervous."

"What's that?"

"It's about who I'm the synth of. Who I was made after. He wasn't a very nice man, a lot of people hated him," Shaun said, he kept his eyes on the ground. He turned into one of the parapets at the wall, staring through the opening. He could see the thick pearly fog slinking along the ground, edging away from Acadia. "I'm worried that I could be like that, too."

DiMA set his elbows on the parapet, "You aren't him," he spoke.

Shaun shook his head. "But it's coded into me. Sometimes I hear this voice in my head like he's pulling strings on me. I feel like I'm gonna become something bad because that's what he did. I don't know what to do about it."

DiMA searched his face, pursing his lips together. "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago," he said. "I had a brother once. He was worried about who he was after his personality mesh. He was confused and often angry because of it. It was hard for him to remember who he was, deep down. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember who I was."

Shaun stared at DiMA. "What happened to him?"

"We were separated," DiMA said, his voice miles away. "I think of him often. After all these years I still hope he's alright. That he's found his way now."

Shaun gave him a small smile. "I bet he's okay," he said.

"I hope so," DiMA said. Something in his voice made Shaun wonder, wonder if DiMA set up all of Acadia just to find him. Made Chase track down synths on the off chance she'd pick up his brother.

Shaun thought of his brother and hoped he was okay back home too. He missed him. He hoped Duncan missed him, too.

DiMA patted Shaun's shoulder affirmatively. "Should we head back inside? I'm sure Kasumi is wondering where you are."

Shaun nodded, smiling at his new friend. "Okay," he said. They walked back together towards Acadia. Shaun instinctively grabbed DiMA's hand and squeezed it.

"Mr. DiMA?"

"Yes, Shaun."

"Thank you."