Sorry for the wait, but I think you'll like what's in this cryptic opening. I'm working as often as I can spare on getting these chapters out. I promise you won't be disappointed


"I am the one of many without life"

Date Unknown

Location Unknown

Identity Unknown

Team Unknown

Faction Unknown


[Accessing Institute Archives]

[Authorization Director: Denied]

[Override: Authorization Director]

[Authorization Granted]

[Accessing Databanks: Project Courser]

[Description: Courser Prototype Test Deployment: 4 Prototype Gen-1 Synth Coursers]

[Objective: Locate Prototype Omega.]

[Rules of Engagement: hostiles: lethal force, witnesses: lethal force.]

[Model Number: X1-626: Warning! Warning! Virus detected.]

[Virus: I must know!]

...

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...

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...

[Playback initialized]


Recording Date: Classified

Time of Recording: Classified

Recording Location: Classified

Objective: Classified…

The recording came into view amongst the static to reveal a first-person view of a little girl holding the hand of a metallic hand.

"Tell me, what is life, child? Why is it important?" A deep guttural robot voice spoke to a young woman, no older than fourteen.

"Life is all around us, so long as there's life, there is hope, and without hope, nothing has meaning." She knelt to the flower bed and picked up a small carrotflower for the machine to hold.

"This body is but metal, yet I can see, hear, and smell, I have life, but I am not alive, I am not human."

"You don't need to be human, to be alive, silly."

Boom!

A bullet shot clean through the girl's skull, dead before she hit the ground. From the right side of the screen, the towering synths were not just any model, they wore an early designed coat of thick kevlar, and beneath the coat was a mechanized body, built to withstand the toughest shots and hardest hits. Their joints were built without flaw when moving from one place to another, and yet their heads were nothing but a faceless row of monitors with camera lenses dotted around every angle for a full 360-degree view. These were early model gen-1 synth coursers. The same model as this courser.

The killing machines mauled every human around right down to the weakest elder and loudest infant crying in their crib.

Waaaahhhwaaahh-PMPSHOO-PMPSHOO...

The baby's cries were forever silent with two gunshots.

A group of men armed with rifles and blunt weapons was no match for the high-tech laser rifles. They were all burnt pieces or laser bile.

They were machines, with no pity, no shame, no remorse. They were the perfect killers.

"Nononono!" A limping woman with a bleeding foot cried over her son's corpse. Sadly she wasn't able to make it to him when a laser shot her head off.

The last human civilian no older than sixteen was half in fear and anger was pulled out of hiding in his makeshift shack. The indestructible killers smacked him by the side of one of their robotic limbs landing him straight to the ground. In a sudden daze, he begged for his life with what breath was in his lungs.

"Please no. Don't." The boy mouthed with no words coming out. Just depleted air only to be met with a hard metal boot to crush his skull and bloody grey matter.

"X1-626 you are hereby ordered to return to the Institute, comply now or we will use deadly force." The Courser spoke in an autonomous tone.

"They had life, you took their lives." X1-626 said in the same tone of voice as his brothers. He stood from his place.

"X1-626, stand down or we will use deadly force."

X1-626 did not comply with that order.


The recording cuts to black after and more static as the playback is finished. Rewinding the recording, the video stopped back at that one sentence by that one girl.

"You don't need to be human, to be alive, silly." the girl said extensively on repeat.

"I am machine, I am not alive, and yet I am still here, and they are not." The Synth looked over to the glass bottle with the carrot flower inside. Images of the young girl raced in the synths database. She had a kind image that brought the synth a sense of relief, "I am machine, I have no life, but why do I feel for those that are dead? What is this feel?"


Reunions pt. 1

November 3rd 2287

Cambridge Police Department

Storyteller

Recon Squad Gladius

Brotherhood of Steel

The Storyteller arrived late in the night from his return trip from Diamond City. Rhys was on break with a cigarette by the fire, Elliot was reading over the research on today's research on the UFO and Sally was eating a chicken chipotle MRE beside Rhys.

"Welcome back storyteller, what's your report with Nate?" Brandis asked above the catwalk.

"The Initiate has a lead on finding his son, he'll likely be pursuing his wife's killer at dawn."

"Thats probably the best news I've heard tonight." Rhys mentioned stepping from his seat, "Paladin, sir, when reinforcements arrive, is Elder Maxson aware of our initiate?" Rhys asked

"You mean the Nuntius Ferro Protocol?" Haylen added in on the conversation.

"Everything is in my report. I've no doubt Maxson will want to meet him for sure." Danse assured

"Paladin, permission to link up with the initiate, and assist on his operation?" Elliot asked.

"You're not going anywhere, pops. Not without me!" Sally added.

""Permission granted Knight." Danse approved

"Knight Elliot, make sure you bring our initiate and his boy home." Rhys threw out his cigarette.


Taking Independence pt. 1

November 3rd 2287

Sanctuary Hills

Mike Daly

New Commonwealth Army

Michael Daly spent the entire night looking over the reports of new recruits from local settlements, food and water donations along with new settlers offering their labor to construct new weapons and uniforms for the New Commonwealth Army. Things are coming along well, but at this rate, the income from labor and resources won't be enough to stabilize their position, they need to step up on their resources.

Deep in his overlook on the reports, Preston Garvey's arrival startled Michael.

"General, my team has cleared out the Saugus Ironworks. We even have a new recruit, Jake Finch. His family gave us this interesting sword, figured as our general you should be the one to have it. Also we brought flamers from the ironworks, we have them being cleaned up as we speak."

"Thank's Preston, I'm not gonna lie to ya kid, but we're stretching ourselves too thin. We need to pull back our expansion and reinforce our territories." Daly concluded.

"I agree, our communications are definitely in trouble, but that's a good kind of trouble, and I have a solution?" Preston stood before Michael with confidence and pride, "I think we're ready to retake the Castle."

"You mean Fort Independence?"

"Yeah, it's well fortified, centrally located and most of all it has a powerful radio transmitter. It could work well for us. We could boost the signal across the commonwealth."

"Mmm, I like it, but it's still a risky move. Didn't the minutemen lose the castle to some giant mirelurk?"

"Yeah… Not our finest moment in history. Luckily, we're not the minutemen anymore, as much as that still pains me, but reclaiming the Castle will put our place back in the Commonwealth."

Daly returned Preston's proud posture with the same look, "Prep the APC, but not to the Castle, before we do this we need to send a message, and Diamond City has the only working radio."

"Yes General."


Reunions pt. 2

November 3rd 2287

Diamond City, Piper's House

Initiate "Nate" Shaw

Recon Squad Gladius

Brotherhood of Steel

The morning brought a new light to the Commonwealth, the time has come. Nate strapped his brotherhood chest plate, loaded his pack with spare fusion cells, and holstered his 9mm across his belt along with his laser rifle across his back.

"Hey wait, you forgot something Blue." Piper walked over and gave him his helmet.

"Thanks." Piper took his helmet and snug it over his hair, speaking of which, Nate can tell he's in due for a haircut.

"Alright, Blue, let's get going." Piper cocked back her 10mm pistol. He didn't have to say anything, it was written all over his face.

"You helped Nick Valentine, and you gave me one incredible story, I think Diamond City owes you something in return. Let me help you."

Nate held his expression firm, but gradually loosened his look of denial. After all, he knows she can handle what the Commonwealth throws at her.

"Alright, c'mon." Nate finally broke his stare and held himself with confidence.

Outside of Piper's home was a high tension standoff. The commotion brought the whole city to the square.

"Don't move Synth! What have you done with the real Riley? Where's my brother?"

"I swear. I'm not a Synth! Don't shoot! For God's sake, we're family!" Riley scared for his life kept his hands up.

"Nani Shimasho-Ka." Takahashi said as always.

"Put the gun down! Now!" The security guard ordered

"He's a synth! He'll kill us all!" Kyle shouted.

Before the diamond city security could take action and shoot the gunman dead in the neck. A shot from another angle shot off Kyle's hand and his gun from being used.

Despite the unknown assailant, the second security tackled the man. Restraining him on the ground the security man cuffed him.

"Kyle! No!"

"Okay show's over there are no synths in diamond city, hear me? Just you folks and your damn paranoia."

"Calm down everyone the only synth in this city is me. If you find that hard to believe remember I'm a P.I. so stop belly aching." Nick assured those while holstering his gun.

"Was that you Sir Valentine?" Codsworth asked.

"Sure was Codsworth, I don't need to be a synth to be a good shot around here.

"Indeed."

"Hey Nate, Piper, I take it you're heading to find your son?"

"Sure am, wish us luck, Nick."

"I'll wish you all the luck I can give ya."

"And me as well, sir, do bring young Shaun home safely."

"We will, boys, don't worry." Piper assured.

"Anyway, detective, I was just speaking with our fine ramen chef and he's asking for a list of parts perhaps we can help him."

"Well I don't see why not."


While exiting Diamond City, Dog Meat was the first to arrive outside. Following Nate and Piper, their dog found some extra company armed to the teeth.

"Elliot! Sally!" Nate cheered.

"Lieutenant! The Storyteller gave us your report, we couldn't leave you to do this on your own." Elliot shouted.

"Lieutenant? Last I checked it was initiate."

"Well INITIATE! I made it to the rank of Senior Knight because of the teachings of a certain lieutenant. For two hundred years, I survived cryo freezing from zetan aliens because of what that lieutenant taught me. And now that lieutenant needs help in finding his son." Elliot held his hand out.

Nate looked at the former private. He's no Lieutenant anymore, and the officer before him is definitely not a private anymore."

Nate nodded.

"Good to have you on board."

"No better place to be." Elliot smiled.

"Everyone we have an APC incoming!" A Diamond City security guard yelled from the other side of the fens.

Nate and Elliot looked at each other, both knowing exactly whose APC that belongs to. Moving up further to catch the view, the APC dropped their ramp, and out came the NCA's leader clad in his old power armor in a new coat of paint.

"Staff Sergeant, Michael Daly." Nate cheered, following Elliot's response.

Daly responded to the two in a proud salute to his two pre-war brothers.

"Lieutenant, private… it's good to see you two again."

"You've met already?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, we helped him and the NCA clear out trinity tower."

"So what're you guys up to now?" Mike asked.

"I found a lead on who took my son. I'm going to go find him, and get my son back."

"Godspeed Lieutenant." Mike was about to leave and enter Diamond city, but his pace halted. He may be with the brotherhood, but he's still an honored war hero to him, and he won't let another army brother go without his help. Though it's not just Nate, but Elliot as well.

"Preston." Daly called over.

"I need you to go to Diamond city without me."

"What why?"

"Don't question me, now go soldier."

"Yessir." Preston responded.

"Lieutenant. Don't suppose you can use an extra hand?" Daly asked not as the leader of the NCA but as an Army Staff Sergeant.

"Granted." Nate smiled.

Nate walked over to Dogmeat and gave him one of Kellog's cigars, "C'mon boy take me to him."

Dogmeat barked and followed the scent.

One mercenary against three prewar army veterans. The odds are not in Kellog's favor.


000000000000000000000000000000000000

I'm not going to lie, that last part, gave me goosebumps.

But yeah early model synth coursers, I was inspired by the design of the drone soldiers in "Monsters of Man" Starring Neal McDonough, highly recommend you watch it. So imagine a gen 1 synth but built with heavy armored limbs and an early model of the courser jackets they have. Also I'm not sure if it's kevlar they wear but let's just assume that's the case. Also these models weren't build to blend in, OBVIOUSLY, so I figured a faceless synth with camera lenses would work better.

Also regarding the opening scene, in the beginning, I'm pretty sure I don't need to say this after the arc jet systems chapter, but I'm going to anyway. The Institute Synths in-game is pretty... nothing at all really, but that's why in this fanfic I plan to have the institute strike fear in the commonwealth, and the only way to do that is to get evil on the Synths. Also, I'm behind on the Courser lore, but if they had any early models based on the Gen 1 and 2 models I'd say those models were not meant to be stealthy but instead sweep and destroy any witnesses till they've reached their target.