To everyone's surprise, the Overseer unexpectedly dropped the mission to New York City, saying it was too sudden and that more time was needed for preparations. Jim was happy she listened to reason and was wondering what could have made her took that rushed, illogical decision in the first place. The Overseer sure is a strange woman, Jim thought. The young security guard quickly notices he said 'woman' and sensed a slight heat building up in his cheeks. He was headed towards the Overseer's location, but stopped to watch her from afar. The synth was taking a walk along the Potomac this morning and Jim was assigned as escort. The Overseer was lost in her thoughts, collecting stones from the river.
Why is life so bad? she thought. Why are people even born into a world like this?
When she notices Jim, the Overseer quickly hides the stones behind her back, as if she was ashamed. However, it was pointless, as the young security guard was already watching her for a good few minutes now.
"What do you have in your hands?" Jim asks.
"Just some stones from the river", the synth replies, avoiding his eyes.
"Can I see them?" the young man smiles.
"Sure," the Overseer brings her right hand forward and slowly opens her palm, revealing a couple of wet pebbles.
"They are pretty," Jim smiles awkwardly.
"Do you ever think about death?" the Overseer unexpectedly inquires.
"Of course. All the time. You can't help but think about it when you're out in the wastes, you know? The danger is real. Not that the Vault is 100% safe, but out here there are many things that want you dead."
"What do you think will happen to me when I die?"
"I don't know..." Jim looks down.
"Will I go to Heaven or Hell?"
"I... I don't know. I don't think so. You have to be human to go there."
"Why?" the synth inquires.
"Because... you need to have a soul."
"A soul? What is that and where can I get one?"
"I don't think I'm the right person for you to have this conversation with. I hardly-"
Before Jim could finish his sentence a bullet ricocheted from a rock in front of them.
"Raiders!" Jim yells.
They both quickly crouch down with their weapons drawn, taking cover behind some rocks.
"Where are they? I can't see them," the synth says.
"Must be a sniper," Jim concludes.
"Then why do you say it's raiders?"
"Well, who else could it be?"
"Literally anyone with a gun?" the synth grins sarcastically.
"Well, I doubt that."
"OK, so a raider with a sniper rifle makes sense to you?"
"Nothing makes sense in the wasteland," Jim shrugs. "Can you see them yet?"
The synth slowly raises her head to look for the shooter. Another bullet scraps her hair.
"Nope. Can't see anything," she says backing down.
Jim forces himself to not laugh. The synth's hair was raised up, magnetized.
"What's so funny?" the synth looks confused.
"Bad hair day?" The young security officer bursts into laughing. He takes his lunchbox and hands it over to the Overseer. The synth sees its reflexion in the back side of the box; its hair was all messy.
What the hell? it thinks to itself, trying hard to find an explanation to why a bullet would have that effect on hair. That was a first...
"So... You see nothing, I see nothing, and we can't leave. Correct?"
"Yes," the synth states the obvious.
"I'll radio base to send us backup," Jim announces.
"Okay," the synth nods, still trying to put its hair back down and failing miserably.
Half an hour later chief Frosst surprised them by suddenly decloaking behind their backs, even tho he was more surprised by the Overseer's hair, but decided to say nothing.
"Just you?" Jim inquires.
"Yeah. It's one shooter, there's no point in putting people's lives at risk for just one guy, right? Anyways, I had quite the time getting here. This whole area is full of deathclaws, did you know that?"
No, they didn't know that. Jim checked; it was safe. Safe... What's really safe in the Wasteland?
"So, how did you get past them?" Jim got curious.
"With this baby." Chief Frosst points to the Stealth Boy hooked to his belt. "I brought you some too. Let's go."
"No," the Overseer frowns. "I need to know who attacked us. Wait here, it will only be a minute."
"But-"
The synth activated the Stealth Boy and was gone before the the man could argue further why that was a bad idea.
She never listens... Why am I even her chief of security? Frosst frowns.
"She'll be fine. She can handle herself, you know that." Jim says, more to reassure himself than the chief. The synth can be so stubborn sometimes and he knew that all too well.
The Overseer quickly approaches the location where she thought the fire was coming from. Inside the wooden shack was a single, black eyebot with an Enclave symbol painted on its body, and a modified gun, constantly focusing and defocusing over the area where Jim and chief Frost were impatiently waiting for her.
What the hell? Before it could finish its thought, the eyebot seems to have noticed its presence and self destructs, releasing both shrapnel and an EMP that knocks the synth out instantly. Jim twitches at the sound of the explosion.
God damn it! the chief of security curses in his mind. Why does she always have to put herself in harm's way? Glancing at Jim, Frosst orders, "Activate your Stealth Boy. Let's get her out of there before the deathclaws and who knows what else get here. Hurry!"
The men rush towards the wooden shack and find the synth inside, unconscious. Its rib cage was exposed and half its face was missing. They hold it up, put its arms around their necks and head back home. Luckily, Vault 121 wasn't far and they reached it in roughly an hour of walking without any further incidents, but exhausted from carrying their Overseer.
Another hour later, Jim was pacing nervously outside the robotics lab. The Vault's top scientists were working to put the synth back together, but early reports didn't show too promising. Apparently, they couldn't boot her up. The Overseer was in a deep sleep and they didn't know how to get her out of it.
What do you have in your hands?
Just some stones from the river.
They are pretty...
Do you ever think about death?