The light was blinding. The white was suffocating in contrast to the dark blood-red lighting of Dusk's flare inside the service corridor. Ash aimed left, right before inching forward. Once it was clear that there were no targets present he lowered his weapon and turned to Dusk.
"Room clear." He shouted.
"Good job, rookie. Take a breather." She said as she sat on a white storage container. She took off her helmet and let her long brown hair fall from its once fixed position. She sighed as she stared into the eyes ports of the helmet before setting it down. She looked up and noticed Ash was still standing. "What are you doing, rook? I said you could take a seat."
"I'd prefer to stand, ma'am."
"Sit down. Plenty of time to be macho and strong later." Ash hesitated but sat down at her insistence. He took off his own helmet and rested it on his knee. The room was cool. The air refreshing to the skin on his face. The helmet, while exemplary and maintain a comfortable environment once the suit was sealed, still lacked feeling as refreshing as the air outside. Ash looked up from his helmet and noticed that Dusk was cleaning her armor and helmet. Despite the armor being shiny and flawless she seemed to continue to clean it, scrubbing it with a white rag.
"Never thought I'd have the chance to fight a Courser." Dusk began. Ash blinked at her. She looked at him and recognized his dumbfounded look. "Right, you're barely qualified. Well, you're cleared to know that synths are generally categorized into three categories." Dusk raised a finger from her tedious task. "One, the foot solider. Those are the synths encountered in many places in the wasteland. The ones we use for target practice are some of the mangled ones we've captured over the past few months."
"And the others?" Ash asked.
"I'm getting there." She said as she continued to scrub one particular spot on her helmet. Again, thought shiny, she scrubbed and worked at it as though it were filthy. She raised a second finger to join her index finger. "Two, the synth leaders. Synths work in groups. There is always a leader that collects all the information gathered from all operating synths in the area. Those ones are the ones that lead operations and are able to adapt to our battle strategies and tactics. Hard to find and definitely hard to kill."
"So the last is the Courser?" Ash asked. Dusk paused and nodded.
"We've never seen one, let alone fought one." Dusk sighed. "Only the General's had that honor."
"Honor?"
"You must not understand the Pride very well, rookie."
"I guess not." He shrugged.
"Do you have a problem with how I like to fight?"
"Why could you consider violence to be fun? It's people like you that make up many raider gangs. They kill and pillage at will. If you like this kind of work why would call yourself or the Pride any different from them?" He asked. He then realized what he was saying. He was looking down on not only his profession but Dusk and the Pride's life. He was criticizing them for doing what they enjoyed doing as if pursuing their happiness was a bad thing. Dusk paused and gave Ash a small smile.
"We don't." She said softly.
"What?"
"We've never said we're different from the raiders or slavers or the mercs." Dusk said. "Never. At least the Pride's never done that."
"How could you say that?"
"Well, it's true. The Brotherhood was the only life I ever knew. So naturally, what I came to know and liked was formed and shaped by my life in the Brotherhood." Dusk said simply. She looked up at the ceiling. She did so as if she were staring up into a night sky rather just a simple white ceiling. With a reverence that made no sense to Ash. "I guess it all comes down to ideology. I used to think the Enclave was bad as a whole. Not that it was just their leader and some old archaic policies that kept all the bad stuff going. The General opened my eyes to the prejudices I held unconsciously simply due to ideology."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I thought the Enclave was bad simply because they didn't agree with the Brotherhood. I'm sure many in the Enclave thought the same way."
"So who is right then?" Ash asked. Dusk gave him a indifferent look. She casually shrugged.
"No one."
"So what's the point to all this?" Ash asked.
"What do you think?" She asked as she placed her helmet down and grabbed her laser rifle.
"I… I don't know."
"I don't know if anyone does." Dusk smiled. The first time she had done so in Ash's presence. "But I know that whatever the General decides to do. Wherever he goes. Whoever he picks a fight with. Win or lose, I'll follow him."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"That's not an answer."
"No." She smiled again. "It's not. But that's the way it is for everyone in the Pride. Once you're in, it's like a huge family. You just can't leave or even want to leave."
"So then you don't think the Brotherhood are bad?"
"Not in particular."
"The Institute?"
"They build stuff."
"Then why fight?"
"Why are you fighting?" She asked him. Ash realized that he too wore the uniform and power armor of an Enclave Trooper. He hated fighting but it was a necessity in the wastes. It was a tool for survival.
"To survive." He said.
"Sounds like you already know the answer." Dusk smiled once more before standing. She tied her hair in a loose knot before tucking it inside her helmet and once more than pale face was hidden behind a black emotionless helmet. "Let's start moving again." She said quickly before striding to the door opposite to the one they entered.
"Understood." Ash simply said and followed closely behind her.
"Thank you all for coming here." Shaun said quietly. Katherine twiddled with her thumbs while in her seat beside her now elderly son. The thought still made no sense to Katherine. "I understand you all have important work to do."
"It is no problem, Director." Dr. Li said curtly. "Tell us what you need."
"I want to introduce to you all the new Director of the Institute." Shaun said as he gestured to Katherine. Katherine waved awkwardly to the silent, baffled faces in the rom.
"Hi." She said quietly. Shaun smiled and seemed to be proud.
"I know this is a shock to some of you."
"Some of us?!" Dr. Ayo exclaimed standing from his seat. His hands slamming the table. Shaun's expression hardened. He glared at Dr. Ayo not unlike Nate did to many stray dogs around Santuary Hills.
"Do you have a problem with my decision, Dr. Ayo?" Shaun asked calmly.
"We have working here all our lives." Ayo explained. He looked at Dr. Li. "Well, maybe not for Dr. Li. But the rest of us…"
"Your point, Dr. Ayo?" Shaun interrupted. Ayo bit his tongue and his expression softened.
"I just think that we should have been consulted on this matter. I think we all deserved a shot to have become Director."
"Thank you, Dr. Ayo. Does anyone else have any objections?" Shaun asked. Dr. Li sat up in her chair. Shaun looked over at her calmly.
"With respect, I think that we do not fully trust your choice, Father." Dr. Li began. Shaun nodded. "Simply put, your 'mother' has just arrived days ago. Yet, she is already considered to be your replacement. I think that we have not yet had the opportunity to learn about your mother. Develop a relationship or connection with her. I think it would be more prudent to give this a bit more time."
"A very reasonable proposition Dr. Li." Shaun said. "But we don't have any more time. I am dying." Katherine looked over at Shaun at this sudden revelation. Shaun looked over at Katherine, his eyes, just like Nate's displaying shows of fear and anxiety.
"Shaun?" Katherine croaked.
"I'm sorry for not telling you before." Shaun spoke quietly. The other members of the Board were just as shocked.
"While I'm sure you had good reason to withhold this imformation from us before," Dr. Li began. "now that it has been disclosed I maintain my position."
"As do I." Ayo said. The other two heads said nothing.
"It has already been decided. Starting tomorrow, you will follow orders from my mother."
"And what makes you think you can just make us follow you?!" Ayo shouted standing once more. Two coursers materialized from the darkness, weapons raised. "You think you can do this to me? The Synth Retention Bureau will take no orders from this…"
"Care to finish that sentence, Dr. Ayo?" Shaun asked. His glare intense as ever. Yet he was still calm as weapons were aimed at him. Katherine slowly inched her hand towards her institute pistol.
"I have followed you faithfully for all these years. You were grooming me for Director!"
"I did no such thing." Shaun said calmly.
"Ayo…" Li began.
"Shut up!" Ayo said frantically. "I will not take this sitting down! He looked back at the Coursers." He nodded.
"Threats detected." One of the coursers said. Katherine drew her pistol. Two gunshots sounded and the two coursers fell to the ground. A third courser, clad in black courser duster and leather boots.
"Threats eliminated." A familiar voice said. Katherine met the courser's eyes and was again reminded of Nate.
"What?" Katherine mumbled.
"Please do not be alarmed." Shaun said calmly.
"Is everything all right, Father?" the courser asked.
"Yes. Everything is fine Nate. Please take care of the perpetrator."