The Fallout of War
Chapter 11, Vault 75
Danse entered Vault 75 with an armed escort of Coursers led by Kellogg. The entrance to the vault in the Maldon school basement was typical in it's disarray like most abandoned locations. Stepping off the elevator below ground level he was surprised to find it clean, well ordered and repairs had been made as they traversed a long it's halls.
People walked purposely about in white lab coats amongst Gen 2 Synths and a few Coursers. His trepidation grew with each step he took deeper into the vaults confines and he did his best to make note of all he saw. He made a mental note of how many Coursers he saw, how many lab coats, where doorways were and turns.
They paused in a two story high large hall designated as the Atrium. A man upon a second story balcony called down to Kellogg. "Welcome back Mr. Kellogg." "Just delivering the package you ordered Dr. Zimmer." The man looked down at Danse noting his split lip, cut cheek and black eye. "Well done, though I have spoken once with you about using restraint when it comes to... you're urges." Kellogg glanced over at Danse's battered face and shrugged. "He tripped and fell a few times."
Danse studied the man Kellogg called Dr. Zimmer. He was older, thin and wore glasses, definitely the Scribe type, but he could not ever remember hearing the name nor having seen him before. The way Kellogg deferred to him though, he figured Dr. Zimmer held some authority in the vault and didn't hesitate to speak, "Where's Tanna Steel?"
Dr. Zimmer turned his attention to Danse. "Welcome Paladin Danse to Vault 75. I am Overseer Zimmer and head of operations here. I'm afraid Miss Steel is not here." Danse turned to Kellogg angrily, "Kellogg you son of a bitch!" He would have gone for his throat if he'd not been cuffed and held by a Courser on either side.
"Where is she Kellogg? What have you done with her?" Danse shouted at him. Kellogg taunted Danse, "Lets see, a fist to the face, head slam to the floor, making her strip for me, and the best part was carving my initial in her pretty little neck."
"Enough Kellogg!" Zimmer called down to him, but to late.
Roaring with rage, Danse rammed his shoulder into the guard between him and Kellogg. He felt an acute pain in the back of his legs and a shock wave shoot through him as the other Courser struck him with a Shock baton bringing him to his knees. The Coursers continued to keep him on his knees holding his shoulders down. A third Courser moved up to stand behind him where he knelt. "Where is she Kellogg?" Dance panted through gritted teeth against his pain and anger.
"Easy soldier boy. She never left the vault with me." Kellogg turned and peered up at Zimmer, "Merc hasn't arrived with her yet? I knew it was a bad idea handing her over to him." Dr. Zimmer seemed unconcerned, "Though he is behind schedule I have every confidence he will succeed with his assignment." "You best hope Merc doesn't underestimate Tanna. You should have let me bring her in. I know exactly how to handle her type." "That is exactly why Merc was sent. She is needed unharmed and alive Mr. Kellogg."
Danse was determined to learn all he could, "What do you want with Tanna? What is this place?" Zimmer pushed his glasses further up his nose, "Miss Steel's DNA is of great value to us amongst other things. Your presence here is to ensure her cooperation and this place is the Institute."
Danse couldn't believe what he was hearing. "The Institute was destroyed. Are you people insane?" "I assure you, we are quite sane. As the new leader of the Institute I won't be making the same mistakes Father and our former colleagues made."
"And who are you exactly?" Danse queried. "I am Dr. Zimmer, Prior Director of the Synth Retention Bureau for the Institute, but now my title is Overseer of the Institute." "I thought a Justin Ayo headed up the Bureau."
"I've been living in the Capitol Wasteland for the last 11 years on a special assignment, but a couple months before the Institutes destruction, Acting Director Ayo managed to locate me and informed me of Father's deteriorating health and how it was effecting his decision making ability. I returned to the Commonwealth at once realizing the Institute was at risk."
"And when the institute was attacked you ran scared and hid in a vault?" Danse accused him. "There is no need to attempt to bate me Paladin. We have nothing to hide here. My colleagues who held views equal to my own began discreetly preparing Vault 75 as a new institute location. According to our inside information we were able to foresee the actions soon to be taken by our adversaries, the Brotherhood, Minutemen and Railroad. I do admit we never got into the Railroad HQ, just their safe houses. Father though, remained stubbornly blind to Miss Steel's intentions and the danger in which he had placed the future of the Institute."
"You placed yourselves in that danger the moment you began creating abominations." Danse injected. "Abomination. That is an interesting statement considering who is making it, is it not Paladin Danse?" Shit! Careful Danse. Don't give anything away.
"But we digress. As I was saying, my colleagues began discreetly moving equipment from the Institute to here preparing it for our eventual occupation so we could continue our work. In time we shall have the facility and advanced equipment we lost in the destruction, but for now we are adequately equipped to attain our new goals for the Institute."
"New goals?" Both Danse's thick eyebrows rose in question.
"I have been living in your disgusting above ground world for the last 11 years. I am convinced mankind cannot change from its need to seek power and domination through war over one another. The only way there will be peace is if one power achieves that dominance and forcibly maintains that peace. Imagine a Gen 4 of advanced Coursers bearing the positive attributes from the Forced Evolutionary Virus, FEV. By advancing our Courser technology and combining that with breakthroughs in the FEV research we shall build an army that can achieve that dominance without putting humans at risk in battle."
"FEV research!" Cutler was instantly brought to mind and Danse strained against the cuff's that already had his wrists bloody. "That research creates abominations! You're mad to even consider creating an army of such monsters to set loose upon the Commonwealth. You would be no different than those you are condemning with that methodology."
"Ah, there is a difference if you are the one who finally achieves it." Zimmer concluded.
"Like I said, you're insane. You obviously speak of an army that doesn't even exist yet. You only have a few Coursers hanging about. You will be ferreted out long before you can raise such an army and The Brotherhood, Minutemen and Railroad will all stand united against you."
"For the moment Paladin, but I think the phrase, Divide and conquer, is appropriate in this situation. If our three adversaries should be pitted against each other, they will do our job for us in destroying one another. It will then be easy enough for us to achieve our goals."
"Your living a pipe dream Zimmer. You'll never get them fighting one another. Tensions may be high, but their leadership are not fools." "Ah, another phrase comes to mind, Cut off the snakes head and you kill the snake. I believe we already have the General in our possession. That leaves Desdemona who does elude us, but Elder Maxson will fall at the appointed time."
Danse pushed against the robotic hands that held him attempting to rise. "You cannot reach Elder Maxson. He is constantly surrounded by loyal men and women of the Brotherhood who would give their lives to protect him." Zimmer looked over the top of his glasses at Danse. "Oh that is rich. You were one of those loyal men before your... exile, were you not? There was a time when the Institute had high hopes that one M7-97 would have the honor of doing the deed. "
"You Bastard." Danse glared at Zimmer and made another attempt to regain his feet. Overseer Zimmer and Kellogg began to laugh. "There is really no need for that Paladin. You see, we all know the truth here." "I will never be one of you!"
Zimmer gave orders to Danse's guards, "Take him down to interrogation. Find out what he knows about the Brotherhood and Minutemen that we don't already know and what he's been up to since his exile, but keep him alive."
As they were dragging him away he heard Zimmer question Kellogg. "Have you completed the preparations for the coming attacks?" "Everything will be in place by tomorrow." "Good. I wish to see you later in my office to go over the final details."
It was a short time later Danse found himself in a hard metal chair bolted to the floor, each arm cuffed to the chair's arms. He was in a small room with two Coursers and a man in a white institute lab coat. "This would be a lot easier on you if you just cooperated. There's no need to play the hero. Just answer the question."
Okay, time to find out how bad this is gonna be. Danse remained stoic except for the middle finger of his right hand. His interrogator nodded to the Coursers who unsheathed shock batons. And now we know how bad. Danse clenched his jaw tightly as the batons were raised. One slammed down on his right hand while the other smashed into his ribs.