3. Sweet-E
Fawkes was reading a book what he was studying at the afternoon as well. A bottle of irradiated water was lying in front of his foot, in which was reflecting the door to the Underworld.
Below the huge skull, what decorated the hall, the gate opened, on which Quinn stepped out, exiting the Underworld.
The super mutant sighed, seeing that the guy started to walk straight into his direction.
"I told her to remain here until morning" said to the ghoul, "but she defied my opinion".
"You have not seen where she went?"
"I didn't go after her, and listen my friend, that woman knows exactly what she's doing, and knows how to protect herself."
"I found out who this Elaine might be. But I can wonder all I care, it doesn't add up. She lives with Enclave principals, but… Fawkes, you promise me, that this, what I'll tell you, will remain between us?"
"You can trust me, friend. Your secret is safe with me."
"While Elaine repaired her drone at Winthrop's place, I went back to Cerberus, and asked him if he had made a photo out of Renegade with his high-definition camera. He made some about that thing, and fortunately one of a good quality. Then I asked him to highlight the sentence under the label Renegade the thickened surfaces, then wipe all the paint and highlight the selection. Renegade's real name is: Sweet-E."
"Sweet-E? It doesn't sound familiar to me at all…"
"I flipped a couple Enclave file in my life, that's how I got into trouble now as well. I remembered that I saw that name somewhere before, but I didn't know where. However, I was certain, that the Enclave was involved. Then I met with Travis, at Carol's Place, you know, with that cocky bastard, who was once one of them".
"With whom you brought in here not long ago?"
"Yes, I was talking about him. Well, we chatted a bit, and it turned out that I remembered well, that name, Sweet-E really appeared in one of the Enclave's documents. It was a real spy scandal. Two scientists worked on it, and at on another Eyebot prototype. According to the official data, they developed them in Raven Rock, in the Enclave's headquarters, but Travis says that by the time they arrived at the base, the two prototypes were perfectly functional. He couldn't say more, but I was able to learn the names of that two scientists: Dr. Whitley and Dr. Ronin.
"Ronin? You're speaking about Dr. Elaine Ronin, the Brotherhood's double agent? But… but I believed that she was killed seven years ago! Charon has also made a note of it when he stayed in the Citadel with the Lone Wonderer!
"I also bought a copy, but however, if you can, explain something to me! How can that be that her name doesn't appear anywhere else in? Because that Elaine Ronin wasn't her nick name, but her real name! They didn't mention what role she had there, just the fact that the Brotherhood of Steel identified her as their dead! But we all know that her body has never been found, and as you may know, the Enclave searched for it the entire bottom of the river for a month. They screened every meter of the bottom, but couldn't find it. And Sweet-E? Travis says that the entire ED-E series has been recalled to be melted into the Enclave Hellfire Armor. Travis said that none of the prototypes ended in the furnace, both of them disappeared!"
They both sighed and then the silence subsequently joined them. Neither Quinn, nor Fawkes did not know what to believe. Dr. Elaine Ronin's name has been mentioned more then once at a time by Three Dog, like adventures of the Lone Wanderer exploits around the Capitol Wasteland. As the name of the famously infamous Mata Hari, Dr. Ronin's name got written in history. She played a major role in the liberation of the Citadel, what was conquered for three years. Many Brotherhood fighters died in those days, and if Dr. Ronin didn't gave help, even more would have perished.
They knew well, that sitting there and watching the ground will not give answers to the questions.
As they fought about this, Fawkes suddenly looked at Quinn.
"Did you hear it?" he asked.
"What?"
Fawkes fought about his answer, but he changed his mind, before he poured his ideas in words, and decided to look at the direction from where he heard the sound.
He stood up and walked toward the exit. Quinn followed his lead. Reaching the door, they observed Renegade. Not far away, near the toilets, they saw Elaine, as she was leaning towards the wall. She stood there, with folded hands, and with almost completely closed eyelashes. Her face was still covered with the kerchief, with the hat on her head. A couple of blond-brown strands of hair were sticking out of the front.
Sensing the guys looks on her she sighed and slowly opened her eyes. They were shining with a wearily, almost tantalized light.
No words were needed it was possible to read everything from them.
"If I'm not mistaken" she said, "you want to know how I survived?"
"I can't believe that I'm in front of a true legend…" gasped Quinn.
"With a legend?" Elaine looked at him. "Hmm… There is nothing uplifting, when I think back on my life. Yet all started like a fairy tale… God, it's been a long time already. A whole generation has grown up since then as well…"
Bitter memories broke to surface, which were even hard to remember, not to share them with anyone.
She couldn't stay there, not a minute longer. She left the wall, and went towards the exit. While the world increasingly began to spin around her, she did her best to leave as soon as possible the Museum, but the grueling march for weeks, and the freshly remembered memories overcame her body, and even before she reached out of the building, she fainted.