Jack Parsons and the Turned Tables
"Is this an intervention?" Jack asked, dumbfounded. He was leaning back in his seat, arms crossed.
"If that's what you want to label it," started Nick-
"You bet your ass it is," concluded Piper. Preston Garvey merely nodded, not letting much emotion come to the surface.
"I thought you guys trusted me," Jack defended. He thought this was a waste of time. He had a plan, after all. And it seemed to be working, albeit a little bit slower than he wanted.
"Trust cuts both ways," responded Piper.
"And recently, we're the only ones getting cut," added Nick.
Preston remained silent.
They sat in the inner sanctum of the Castle, in what used to be the hidden passage from the General's quarters to the Armory. It had recently been cleaned out and converted to a safe room, and a meeting room that would be free from eavesdroppers. A deadly sentry robot named Sarge patrolled the adjoining hallways. From the corner of the room, a radio faintly played a song from Diamond City radio that spoke of hacking and smacking.
"Okay," Jack admitted, "I have been a little bit secretive as of late. You can hardly blame me for wanting to keep my mouth shut while working for an institution that can hide in plain sight. Not even I know who is and is not a synth up here. Not until my transition into the Directorate has been completed." Here is where Preston decided to pipe up.
"The Directorate? You were supposed to drop in, find your son, assess the place for weaknesses, and then cut ties. Instead we find you rising through the ranks, performing unsanctioned operations for them inside of Minuteman territory, and now taking the Institute's side during a direct confrontation? That is not simply secretive. It's questionable to the highest degree."
"So here we are, asking some questions," Nick chimed in. Piper rose from her seat and got in Jack's face.
"So what the hell is going on!?"
Jack looked at them like a deer in the headlights. For a second, all he could see was the fire in Piper's eyes. He had seen it indirectly before, but never directed at him. He sort of liked what he saw, and then immediately threw that thought far out of his mind. Back to the task at hand.
He should have known that a day like this was coming, since he had been flirting with both sides of the conflict. He took a deep breath, knowing that the next words out of his mouth were going to have to count.
"You guys are right. I'm sorry. I have been too secretive, and it probably looks extremely confusing from the outside looking in-"
"Damn right it does," interrupted Piper. Jack continued.
"So I want to clue you in. When I first got to the Institute, I thought that it was going to be impossible to live peaceably with them. I just wanted to get my son, and get out. However, when I found out that my son was the leader of the entire place, that threw a wrench in my gears. So I reevaluated the situation. Now, hear me out," Jack pleaded.
Piper leaned back and crossed her arms. Nick folded his hands and leaned forward. Preston stayed still, completely inscrutable behind the veneer of a soldier. Jack took another deep breath.
"I genuinely believe it is possible for the Minutemen and the Institute to coexist in the Commonwealth. Not only coexist, but thrive together."
"Bullshit!" shouted Piper.
"Hmm," mused Nick.
"What do you mean?" asked Preston.
Jack attempted to keep his calm demeanor, even though fear and panic were welling up. He was not used to being put on the spot socially, but rather in combat.
"Let me back up. The overarching goals of the Commonwealth Minutemen are to ensure that the settlements here are protected from the threats of the wastes. Lately, it has expanded farther than ever before, and is frankly becoming a de facto military government. Is that fair?"
"I guess," conceded Piper.
"Hmm," mused Nick.
"No disagreement here," admitted Preston.
"The mission of the Institute is to use every advancement in science in order to further the human race. They view things in very broad terms, and in the past, have ruthlessly disregarded the needs of the few in order to serve the needs of the many. However, the common ground these two organizations have is that they want the best possible life for the maximum amount of people."
"Sure, whatever," said Piper.
"Hmm," mused Nick.
"I see where you're coming from," stated Preston.
Jack felt like he was beginning to gain some ground. It was time for the hard sell.
"I propose a united Minutemen and Institute. The Minutemen to protect settlements, ensure trade, and eventually establish a democratic government. The Institute to stay underground, continue their research, and release advancements that do real good for the folks above ground."
After that, everyone stayed silent for a while. Piper looked down at the floor, bewildered. Nick looked up and to the left, evidently conceptualizing the possibilities. Preston stared right at Jack. Finally, he broke the silence with a question.
"And you mean to let the Institute keep taking people and replacing them with Synths?"
"No, I don't. I was going to say 'of course not,' but it's an important question to answer. The deal between the Institute and the Minutemen would mean the cessation of all activity that infringes on the basic rights of the people topside. This would mean an end to kidnappings and synth replacement. I even think, with a little luck, that we can negotiate for a cease in synth retention," Jack was reaching, knowing that Justin Ayo would probably only allow that over his dead body. But then again, soon he would have some serious leverage over Ayo. At this point, Nick had a question.
"People up top fear the Institute. How are we going to convince them to team up with the bogeyman?"
"Good question Nick. For one, the decision will be made partly over their heads. The Minutemen and the public are two different things. If the Minutemen, a trusted entity, go with this, then many people are bound to follow rather than rebel against both organizations. I know that sounds a little bit ruthless," Jack conceded, "But because the benefits of the Institute's advancements will be opened up to the public, their opinion will go up alongside the quality of their lives." He took another breath.
"The other part of the answer lies in public relations. We have a couple of channels in Diamond City that are loyal to us, including a very well-known reporter who favors a red trench coat," with this, he looked slyly over at Piper. She wasn't having it.
"Father would never go for this," she states as though she was putting the final nail in the coffin. But Jack had a rather depressing ace up his sleeve.
"Father's dying," Jack replied.
"Bullshit!" shouted Piper.
"Hmm," mused Nick.
"What do you mean?" asked Preston.
"My son, Shaun. He's dying, of cancer. There isn't anything that anyone can do about it," Jack said. He took a moment for the words to sink in. Piper looked unconvinced at first, but then she slowly began to realize that Jack was not lying.
"He has already made me the acting director of the Institute. Most of the board members are for it, and I'm working on the holdouts. You see, I agree with you guys. An agreement between these two groups is virtually impossible. The only way that I can see it working out, is if both groups are led by the same person. And, if I play my cards right, then that will become a reality."
"If we play our cards right," Preston reminded him.
"Right. So here's what it would take to cement my place as leader of the Institute. The Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel are radically opposed to one another. Something has to give. They want me to help bring the Brotherhood down. The Institute is also obviously not a fan of the Railroad. I think if we can push the Brotherhood out, then I will have the clout to deal with the Railroad in a nonlethal manner. After all, the goal is for the Institute to cease Synth retention, so soon the Railroad and Institute will not be at odds" outlined Jack. It was a gamble of a plan, but there was a world in which it could work.
"Spoken like a true master strategist," said Nick, "are you sure you're not the one with a processor instead of a brain?"
"I know it all sounds cold. We have to ask ourselves how far we're willing to go for a united Commonwealth," stated Jack.
"How far we're willing to go? Don't the people have a say too?" demanded Piper.
"Yes. We'll give each settlement a vote as to whether they want Minutemen protection after the merger. I have a feeling that most will go for it when the options are clearly presented."
There. Jack had finished making his case. Somehow, someway, he turned this intervention around. A part of him felt guilty, as if he was manipulating his friends. Then again, he told himself, he was only trying to do what was right. The people in the wasteland were starting to grow on him. And frankly, his son, the only reason he had gotten up in the morning for the past few months, was about to be taken away from him. He had to decide what he was going to live for, and a brighter future for these desperate people seemed good enough.
"Sleep on it, guys. We can talk tomorrow morning if we're going to go for this full speed. It means a war with the Brotherhood, in the very least. And if we fail, it means destabilizing this region for decades."
His friends agreed to think about it. Preston got up to go to sleep. Nick got up to take the night watch, seeing as he didn't need to sleep at all. Piper hung back.