Maryland. February 6, 2290
Abby's face was distraught. She looked around her, nothing but road and the wastes of former civilization. Boston was a hole since she woke up, but in a year it developed to at least a semblance of a 'future civilization.' All that ambition and greed. All the stuff that I had to do... look where it took us. Lost in thought, Abby's thoughts were interrupted by a beep from her earpiece, indicating an incoming caller.
"Commander! Scout Sergeant Hale from the 2nd Reconnaissance Division reporting." The man exclaimed.
"Report." Abby replied in a calm but stern voice.
"Ma'am, path up ahead is all wet from yesterday's rainfall, but just before I left, it started snowing a fair smidge. The roads are also in poor condition as expected. I don't know if we can get the heavy vehicles through."
We had to start this in the middle of the winter, huh. She thought. "Alright, how far ahead are you looking?"
"About... five kilometers from my current location; near the border of the old Columbian Commonwealth. What are your orders?"
"Hmm... have your squad find possible alternate routes. I'll send the message down the line. Dismissed."
"Yes, ma'am."
With a single beep, the call ended.
"What's the situation?" Sarah inquired.
"Road up ahead is muddy and wrecked. It also started snowing apparently."
"You hear that?" Sarah nodded to an officer behind her, who replied with a nod and a turning of his earpiece knob to relay the information. These technological marvels were unheard of throughout the wastelands. Thanks to Institute Advanced Systems, long distance communication wasn't restricted to using bulky devices. Instead, it was quick and more importantly, discreet; as long as there was a source of signal, communication between two points was possible. These feats of engineering were made possible through modified Institute vehicles that emitted these unique, low-profile signatures. The NEA had not previously made it into these territories, and therefore couldn't establish proper towers, so these vehicles served as temporary alternatives.
During the campaign preparations, the Institute distributed these earpieces to key members and units that were involved in the NEA's expansion campaign; thanks to their small size, mass production was simple and costs were low; human hands had plenty of room to err, but synth workers suffered from no such restriction. Abby herself was allowed access to one of these long before the current events, during her numerous missions done for the Commonwealth City Government. Due to her suspicions, she'd always return them after completing her job.
"So." Abby asked Sarah, not turning to face her. "Now that we're on the road, how do you think this is gonna go down?"
"Who knows." Sarah replied. "My opinion hasn't changed though. This is the right thing to do." she said confidently.
"Hmm."
Brotherhood of Gold Bunker, November 20, 2289, 4:40pm.
"Chuck, how are rations and medical supplies?" Sarah asked.
"Rations are good; a bit on the bland side but good otherwise. Medical supplies are behind schedule though. I think the supplier's brahmin tripped or something."
"Mhmm. Check on the scribes, see if they need anything."
"Roger that, Elder Lyons."
Chuck gave an informal salute and jogged away. The campaign preparations at this time were still in full flow. As the Elder, Sarah had to be on top of everything going on with the preparations (not to mention meetings with the Director inside the Institute itself). Currently, she was assisting Abby in inspecting their armory, along with loading ammunition and storing it appropriately.
"You're awfully quiet over there." Sarah broke the silence.
"Yeah well, a lot of these guns are in pretty bad shape; separating the useless from the usable is taking a bit of brain power."
"Right... Still not totally on board for this?"
Abby looked at her packed belongings and chanced on a holotape, suddenly remembering a certain synth detective's sharing.
"You really have to ask? Anyway, it's not like I have much of a choice."
"Look... " Sarah stopped what she's doing and sighed. "This is what the Brotherhood should be doing. We've gotta make up for all the lost time Maxson's little escapade cost us and get back on track. If hope is what we're trying to bring then the Institute is our best bet."
Abby sighed. Why do you have to be right...
"I know you have your doubts about them, but I really think they mean the best for humanity."
"Easy for someone who's been down there to say. The reason I joined you, the reason I'm still here is because I trust you. I knew you were doing your part in sticking out for the little people out there, but the Institute? The Director? Excuse me, I'm just having a hard time believing people that conceited have our best interests in mind."
"If they really were as selfish as you say, the Director wouldn't have reached out. Commonwealth City would still be 'the Commonwealth.' You think all these resources and funds just go down the drain for an ulterior motive?"
"Based on empirical evidence and personal experience, absolutely."
Sarah kept quiet after that as a tense silence enveloped the room. She knew exactly what she meant. Abby resumed her tinkering. While it was never said explicitly, what we're about to do is no different from waging war. What our intentions are won't matter. As long as they see guns, there will always be misunderstanding.
"If you can't trust them, trust me." Sarah dropped what she was doing and walked up to Abby. "You said you joined the Brotherhood because you trusted my leadership and cause, right? Nothing about what we're about to do is certain. We could fail and go to war or we could succeed and fix this damn country, even just a little bit." She put her hands on Abby's shoulders and stared into her cold eyes. "Honestly? This whole thing is fucking terrifying; I have no idea how it'll turn out... " Her voice barely broke as she spoke.
Abby glanced around the room, ensuring no one was overhearing their exchange. She then took another look at her belongings, particularly at the detective's holotape. Sarah caught onto that and sighed, biting her lip in resignation.
"You already know what he wants to do with the NEA," Abby said with a little venom in her tone. "Hell, I lived in the old Commonwealths, I studied them in school. He's going beyond his borders, Sarah. Are you absolutely sure you wanna pull through with this?"
Sarah looked down and collected herself. Suddenly, her grip on Abby's shoulders tightened immensely.
"Abby... Anything, and I mean ANYTHING is better than the way things are now! Anything is better than living in fear of regret... You of all people should understand what's missing from this world. So trust me. Please."
Sarah looked sadly, almost panderingly at Abby. She didn't notice until now, but her companion wasn't making eye contact. Abby's usually steely countenance was softened with uncertainty and a look of wistfulness. She couldn't even bring her eyes up to meet Sarah's.
"Okay." Abby replied softly. "I'm done with my work here. I'll check in with Ash; see if he needs help with the recruits."
Sarah let go and walked towards the exit, stopping at the doorway.
"I sure hope you're right." Abby remarked.
"Yeah."
"If you're wrong... Guess we'll all see what the price is."
Earlier that day.
Abby was alone in the barracks. She took a peep outside to see if anyone was heading her way, she even checked the wall for flies or any living creature that could be an Institute camera. Nothing, round the lights, under the bed, or in the nooks and crannies.
She exhaled and pulled out her Pip-Pad, and reaching under her bed, she pulled out the holotape Nick had given her to play it. There was a bit of static at first, but as the tape cleared, it painted a clearer picture of where it was from.
Directorate Meeting Room, the Institute. September 19, 2287.
"... members of the Institute, you have welcomed me with open arms, and for giving me a chance, I thank you."
"With the execution of doctors Higgs and Loken, there wasn't much doubt left in our minds that you would lay down your life and the lives of anyone who threatened the Institute, Director."
A few murmurs and grunts of approval were heard.
"Thank you, Doctor Secord. Now you may wonder why I called near every scientist here today. And if you'll forgive the rather cramped space, I can promise you that I will be blunt. I am no scientist, I did not grow up in a lab, but I did grow up leading. And as Director, I have to admit that I have found rather gaping holes in our operations, which I will address today. These issues stretch long before my son's reign and included him: the Institute has grown bored, too bored to actually care about humanity. May I ask anyone here why they were raised to fear the surface?"
There was a moment of tense silence, you couldn't even hear one person breathe.
"You will not be executed or marked for a dissident, I assure you. If we can communicate-"
"Because the people above ground are savages. Because they cannot be trusted with the power we possess."
The Director continued seemingly without having to address whoever said it directly. "Precisely! Because your dealings with people who have no inkling of what this organization really is have been shaky, at best. Abductions, ruthless operators, infiltrators. And for what? Intelligence? Research for the improvement of life? Ladies and gentlemen, I will be very blunt and say that this is not the Commonwealth Institute of Technology I have grown alongside before the bombs fell, no sirs and madams." His sentences were long and delivered quickly. He sounded almost frustrated, but he caught himself and calmed down.
"Many of you now know the injustices performed to loyal Institute doctors Swann and Virgil. A good score of you are horrified, some of you confused, others indifferent. But I am not sent here to judge, no sirs and madams. You are as much victims of the times as the people who toil the land above us... I would tell you what I've seen up there- has anyone ever been immersed in life above ground? No? I know Doctor Wallace has. Doctor Wallace…" Handy looked around to find the man in question, and nodded at him when he did. "...would you by any measure of your imagination describe the people of the Commonwealth as 'less than human?'"
The doctor looked a tad uncomfortable. Sure, there were some pretty bad people, but they were bad people, nothing less. Wallace glanced around him, subconsciously looking for some security, but everyone staring at him didn't give him any. "Personally no… Director." Wallace looked down, knowing he had probably decreased his reputation amongst some of his colleagues.
"Then we have our lesson. The Institute has been making mistakes by failing to recognize that sentiment alone . You all know that I go by two titles: Director of the Institute, General of the Minutemen. The latter is proof that we above ground are not savages… We have food, water, arms, and goods transferred between recognized Minutemen settlements that under a provisional agreement, are freely given for the sake of their own survival. Sound familiar? the Institute doesn't deal in currency, we deal in opportunity, we deal in survival; and we take what we don't have." Handy's countenance softened. "But I tell you this day that the days of having to take them by force are over. The Minutemen have driven raider gangs and mutant tribes away from their strongest positions all by themselves, arguably without Institute aid. True, Institute troops are stationed at key roads as of now, but the Minutemen are solely responsible for every major offensive against the threat. Mankind already rules the surface. The Institute no longer needs to make an enemy out of the surface, and on the word of the officers and ranks of the Minutemen, I as General am enacting a pardon and a peace -I pray a partnership- between the Institute and the dwellers of the Commonwealth. We here will have our resources and the surface will share in the benefits we enjoy."
There were more murmurs heard, but nothing too shocking. It sounded as though the scientists were more weighing the pros and cons of this opportunity, and it sounded mostly optimistic.
"To reflect this good faith, Robotics Department, I am discontinuing the Gen 3 program. Effective immediately."
Now there was a little more chaos.
"Pray, hear me, members of the Institute," the Director said almost sternly. "Everything that program stands for, everything these synths have been made to do is not redefining mankind, but betraying it!"
"Director, the Gen 3 program is the result of years of development, o- of bloodshed! It represents the purity we all so desire the human race to have!"
"We are breeding slaves , Dr. Binet! They are pure and the future of our evolution, maybe, I know well those Coursers can put up a fight. But you cannot ever call them the future of mankind as long as you deny them humanity."
"Yeah!" Liam Binet shouted from near the entrance. The rest of the scientists hmph- ed in recognition, though not necessarily agreement.
Handy did not change his tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, our vision has been misplaced! And there is no better time to correct it than now. "
Silence once more. Whatever Handy had done to gain the trust of these men and women, it definitely came into play now.
"We can only do so much underground... humanity can only grow so much here, where there are no threats... as evidenced by this evil boredom. We cannot let it stand... As Director of the Institute I order the Directorate to begin negotiations with the Minutemen on the formation of an alliance. One that will benefit both organizations, hopefully make it one." Handy smiled. "If only you saw what you could do up there... "
"Director," Allie Filmore spoke meekly. "This will require time."
"We don't have time, Dr. Filmore. Our world is more dead than it ever has been and the tools to redefine humanity, to restore it, to put us back in power, are right up there," Handy pointed. "I ask a great deal out of all of you, if this was a more savage place I'd have been shot by now. But dear members of the Institute I make a simple proposition: give the surface another chance, and I will give you an empire."
Brotherhood Bunker, 4:43pm.
The holotape buzzed to an end, and Abby sat there on her bed, processing what she had just listened to. How did Nick get his hands on this? How was it leaked? Who would want to leak it?
Abby racked her brain for answers. She leaned her back against the wall; against the corner that her bed was in. 'I will give you an empire.' What a prick. Abby smiled to herself, pleased that she felt that she was vindicated in her assumptions. Following that though, she realizes the rest of what had been said.
From what I can tell, he definitely sounds genuine. Well, most leaders start out that way if they weren't already rotten. Pairing up what he said and what I saw from him during our meeting, I think he really does care about wanting to better the wasteland. He does sound like a bit of a dick, but I'm sure he had to put on some airs to charm those antisocial elitists. Still, power has broken the purest people. It's like what Nick said; what road will the Director take? What more if he believes he's absolutely right? How long until he feels like he needs to squeeze his fist in order to bring his point across? I don't know. And I don't like where this could go.
Present day.
The Brotherhood outfit marched on. They numbered about fifty in total, but they had a posse of synth soldiers marching alongside them, as well as the radio truck creaking along the road. It was a terribly silent thing despite being so damned heavy, being powered on nuclear fusion, no emissions or anything like that. It was so silent that the outfit barely noticed it stopping.
Abby noticed first and attempted to talk to the synth operating the vehicle, but she heard someone speak on the comms. "Guys, I think we're here."
"Here? What do you mean 'we're here?'"
Abby looked around and observed her surroundings, nothing much.
"I mean I see the skyline, Elder. It's the capital. We're here!"