I jolt awake from my most recent nightmare. I look around the room and find that everything on the prydwen is still very quiet. I turn in the bed and sit sideways with my feet hanging off the side. The most recent nightmare is the same as always, Nate hating me for killing our son.
I rise from the bed and head to the showers. I strip down and turn on the hot water and let it fall in blissful beads across my body. When I close my eyes, I see his face. That stupid smirk that was painted across it every morning when I woke up with him, then it changes into pure hatred and fear. I open my eyes and shake my head, desperate to shake the image from my head.
I tell myself and others that it's not him, that it's just a nightmare. But I don't believe it. I want to. I want to be able to look myself in a mirror and say that they have forgiven myself for the things that i've done, but I just can't. It is impossible.
Once I am clean, I turn the shower off and dry myself off and get dressed before heading back to the room and out the door. I meet Maxson in the hallway, he must have heard the commotion. His room is next to mine.
"Sentinel, are you ready to head out?" He asks turning to me.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I say.
"Right, well get some breakfast with me before you go. It'll be good for you to get a full meal before the mission." He says.
"I'm alright I think." I tell him.
"C'mon, you should eat somethin' before you head off." He says.
I nod and walk with him to the mess hall. He orders us some food and places the plates at the table. A few minutes of silence passes before I finally say something.
"Why aren't you eating in your quarters?" I ask.
"It's good for me to eat with our brothers and sisters. I don't want to be above them. I mean I am in rank, but they are still my brothers and sisters." He says.
I nod and we continue eating.
"How'd you sleep?" He asks.
"Like shit." I say.
He nods, "I'm sorry to hear that. Wanna talk about it?" He asks.
"No, not really." I say.
He nods, "very well. You know I'm not stranger to you. I'll always lend my ear to you if needed, never forget that." He says genuinely.
I smirk and meet his eyes with mine, "thank you Elder."
"Arthur. It's Arthur to you if we aren't on the deck." He says.
I smile, "alright. Thank you Arthur. I appreciate that."
He smiles the first smile I've ever seen from him.
"So why does this Enclave want my son? He's just ten years old." I say.
"I believe it's because they want more knowledge on the Institute and possibly use him and the knowledge he has of them. He has a high mechanical and scientific aptitude, and he's extremely smart for his age. Our intel suggests they had been on the institutes trail for a while, but just like us they couldn't find their location. They may even have a few captured synths in their possession." He explains.
"So they're going to turn him into a monster?" I ask, omitting the part where the real Shaun is dead. They don't know he was really the head of the institute. They still think the synth is him.
"Not if we get to him before it's too late." He says.
I nod. I sit and think about it for a moment. They must have taken him because he's a synth. They may dismantle him and study him. They may turn him against the world again. I can't let that happen. We finish our meals and head to the command deck for a briefing he's supposed to give my team and I.
"Today, you will be making history. You will be shipped out west in the pursuit of the Enclave and you will be expected to take them down. However, before you set your sights on taking the fight straight to them, you're going to have to help the california chapter of the brotherhood before hand. They are small and weak. They need to be built up and trained again in order to take out our target." He says, "your objecive as a squad is to brief them of the situation at hand and to take the correct measures to ensure our victory. Am I understood?" He asks.
"Yes sir!" We all call in unison.
"Good. And before you are dismissed, I want you all to understand that we all know of the great sacrifice you all are making, and that we all salute and respect you for putting yourselves in danger. My only off record request is that you be safe. I want to see each and every one of your faces at your homecoming party." He says seriously.
"I'll ensure their safety Elder," I say, "you have my word."
He nods, "good. Now, go get ready, and good luck. Ad Victoriam!" He says saluting.
"Ad Victoriam!" We all say saluting back.
My team and I head to the landing pad to load up on the vertibird. Elder Maxson and a few other higher ups follow. Before I board however, I run over to Maxson and hand him a paper with a list of names.
"Can you get in contact with the people on this list and let them know where I am?" I ask loudly over the virtibirds roaring engines.
"Of course!" He yells back.
"And one more thing, the dog on the list needs to be put in the care of someone on this list until I return." I say.
"We'll see that it's done! Now, be safe sentinel! I want to see you and your squad again in the future." He yells.
"Of course! Ad Victoriam Arthur!" I yell.
"Ad Victoriam Ellie." He answers. I nod and board the virtibird.
Cade clears her throat, "so sentinel, we never got the story on you. What made you get into this?" She asks, "the brotherhood I mean."
"Well ever since I was young, I've always wanted to enlist in the military. My parents wouldn't let me of course, they always told me that they couldn't bare the thought of loosing their little girl. But I wasn't worried. They let my two brothers enlist and not me, and that's what really got me." I say shaking my head, "anyways, this was a chance to not only take the opportunity to join a cause bigger than myself, but to find my son." I say.
They all nod except Shire, who looks out at the landscape below.
"Well then we'll follow you, to the grave if we have to." Cade says.
"I mean, I would prefer we not, but you know it's whatever." Masters says.
We all chuckle and await the our arrival and the start of the mission.