Katherine woke in a bright, white room.

"Ah, good, you've awoken." A familiar voice said from her right. Katherine looked over at him.

"X6." She sighed.

"I'm glad you remembered me." X6 smiled. "I brought someone to see you." He walked over to a door and let it open. A small, brown haired boy entered the room. He looked like Nate. Katherine's eyes began to tear up.

"Shaun?" She whispered. Her throat trembled and the words wouldn't leave her mouth. She reached her hand out to the boy. The same boy from Kellogg's memory. Her son. "Shaun?" she croaked.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, backing away from the room. He looked up at X6. "Where's Father?"

"He'll be here soon. He just wanted you to meet this person from the surface." X6 explained.

"Oh, I see. Why does he want me to do so thought?" the boy asked.

"It's not your place to question Father, young man. Run along now." X6 said gently. He walked over to Katherine and fixed her bed sheets, as if tucking her in for sleep. "Relax, you're safe."

"Where am I?" She hissed. "What have you done to my son?"

"You're safe. With the Institute. There was a terrible battle." X6 began.

"My son?!"

"Nothing at all." A different voice said.

"Father." X6 murmured. Katherine looked carefully at X6 and the old man called "Father" and back at X6.

"Good morning, Miss Katherine. I am Father, the Director of the Institute." The old man said with a warm smile. He walked over to Katherine's bed and picked up a medical clipboard. "Ah, it seems your recovery is going quite well. So happy to hear that. You've been here for three days after all." Three days?!

"Where am I?" Katherine repeated.

"Oh, I thought X6 already explained it. You're at the Institute." Father said simply and began pacing the room.

"That wasn't my son, was it?" Katherine asked.

"My, how perceptive of you." Father admitted. "No, that wasn't. How could you tell?"

"I don't know. Just a feeling I had." Katherine relented.

"Ah, that is a shame. I was hoping for something more, something that could be tested."

"Tested? What are you talking about?"

"Well, my dear, that boy was a synth. We are attempting to make the synths more believable."

"What? You make synth children now?!"

"Please, it's not what you think."

"Then what is it supposed to appear like?"

"Well, I don't know." Father shrugged. He smiled at Katherine. "Progress perhaps?" He chuckled to himself.

"Why am I here? How did I get here?" Katherine asked. Then it came back to her. "Quincy." She whispered.

"Ah, yes. That terrible battle site. X6, report?" Father began. The room darkened and a projector turned on. A screen opened up at just the right angle to allow Katherine to see it.

"I took a squad of gen 2s with me in hopes of recovering an escaped synth." A picture of a Gunner popped onscreen. "It just so happened that a confrontation between the Enclave and Brotherhood broke out upon my arrival." Pictures of Elder Maxons, Paladin Danse, James, Preston, Nick, and other members of the CPG appeared on screen.

"I attempted to refrain from the battle, but when the Brotherhood gained the upper hand and blasted the Enclave's remaining vertibird out of the air, I felt compelled to act." A picture of an explosion engulfing a vertibird was displayed.

"Survivors?" Father asked, leaning against a metal desk while fiddling with some kind of medical instrument.

"None, sir. The Enclave fought to the bitter end, with the Brotherhood arriving en masse and overwhelming their last stand position." A picture of church became shown as well. Preston, a few minutemen lay on the ground. Apparently dead. Kodiak was leaned against a wall while Dusk and Glade were found dead in each other's arms. Katherine scrutinized the pictures for James. But he wasn't found. Then the last picture appeared.

"It would appear that the Enclave's leader went down in the battle, sir." X6 reported. Father sighed.

"I see." Father said. "most disappointing. I was hoping his efforts would delay the Brotherhood. Give us more time." Katherine sat up from her bed, James's face was clearly pictured. His suit mangled and his face half burned, likely from an explosion. But something was off about the picture because James was wearing an X-02 suit on-site but an X-01 in the photo. She'd never even known that he owned one for personal use, she only saw Sturges inspecting one back at Sanctuary.

"The Brotherhood was engaged by our forces and were forced to cut their losses and retreat."

"I see." Father said. "Then not all is lost."

"How did you find me?"

"You were left in the wrecked vertibird." X6 explained. "We found a few of your friends with you, they are all here."

"Where?" Katherine demanded.

"In different rooms, recuperating from their injuries."

"And Nick?"

"Nothing could be done for him. He was gone when I arrived." Gone?

"In any case, I am truly sorry about your friends. I invite you stay at the Institute while you heal and you may return to the Commonwealth when fully recovered."

"Where's Shaun?" Katherine asked. Father stopped in his tracks and turned. "I know he's here. So where is my son?"

"Well, that is a question best answered at another time." Father said with a smile.

"No, tell me. Please." Katherine begged. Father turned once more.

"I am Shaun."

TO BE CONTINUED