The first thing that struck me as we stood within the Prydwyn was the hollow sounds of life clapping and echoing off the metal cocoon surrounding us all. There must be far more Brotherhood personnel here than I'd anticipated. We were well and truly caught. Damn.
Three people stood at the helm of the Prydwyn. Their backs were to us as they gazed out over the Commonwealth. I recognized one immediately. Mayor Hancock stood next to the far right of the other two men, his attention casually switching to the table of alcohol bottles instead of the view before him. He saw us enter the room, and a smartass grin spread across his face.
"Danny-boy! Got yourself a pretty little smoothskin girlfriend? Knew you had it in you." Hancock said, making his way towards us.
I was fairly certain that the mayor was poking fun at us, having remembered our first meeting in Goodneighbor. I doubt he'd be the kind of man to use "smoothskin" maliciously on a stranger. While I was debating over what sort of response this warranted, Sandra threw her arms around Dan and I .
"These two make the cutest couple, don't you think? You should see how they make puppy dog eyes at each other from across a crowded room." she squealed.
"Really? I somehow can't see that." said Hancock, sounding incredulous.
Dan pulled me closer to him, and said to all within earshot, including the Brotherhood idiots, "Better believe it. I'm one lucky man."
Feeling bold, I pulled him down into a kiss that was absolutely exaggerated for the benefit of those around us rather than our own pleasure. Marking our territories, I suppose. Or perhaps simply showing the Brotherhood people around us that we had absolutely no fucks to give about their thoughts of us. Hancock belted out a hearty laugh, and congratulated us on finding love in a harsh world.
The commotion caused the other two to turn their attention to us. Nate was in metal plate armor, and looked far more intimidating than when we'd last seen each other. A broad smile spread across his lips. Unless one were closely observing, there's no way you'd notice that the smile never touched his eyes. I liked this guy less and less each time we met.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dan was thrilled to see Nate. It was only at my man's boisterous greeting that a genuine smile was elicited from Nate.
"Daniel! It's great to see you again!" Nate said, shaking Dan's hand.
"He called him Daniel? I'm not sure I like this." I thought.
"I'd like you to meet my… my lady friend. Brenna, this is Nate. We met before the Great War. I think you'll like each other." Dan said, clearly expecting me to shake Nate's hand.
"We'd actually met back in Diamond City on my second day here. Good to see you again, Nate." I lied.
Nate refused to extend his hand to my waiting one.
"Preston said that she nearly shot you on sight at Sanctuary, Daniel. Do you think it's wise to be getting involved with her?" Nate said to him.
I think Dan must have felt my muscles tense up beneath his fingertips as I bristled at Nate's words. He began to stroke little circles around my shoulders where his hands rested. The man sure knew instinctively how to soothe me already.
"I like to think that my Dan and I have come a long way since that night. I'm still thoroughly ashamed of my behavior towards him then, and he knows this." I nearly growled at Nate.
"Enough grandstanding. We have business to attend to." commanded the man next to Nate.
He was wearing a leather coat with some sort of fur collar, and clearly was this Elder Maxson character who was on everyone's lips back at the police station. I could barely suppress the chuckle at the memory of Ollie's insults.
"Molerat fucker. Yup." I thought.
"Paladin Danse, report. Where you able to secure any of the items we had sent you to retrieve?" Maxson asked Danse.
Danse glanced briefly at me before telling his boss about a few items his patrol had brought back to the Prydwyn. That's when we found out the truth.
"And the terminals? Were they destroyed?" Maxson spoke quiet authority.
"You bastards. We needed that information!" Melissa hissed.
"The data they contained was saved. It is, however, far too dangerous for civilians of the Commonwealth to have free access to." the Elder shot back.
"I find that incredibly difficult to believe. Arrest records? Missing persons? Cold cases? What the hell is so important about those?" I asked.
"And just what were you five looking for, if it was as trivial as you say?" Nate replied. He sounded like he was up to no good.
"That's… personal, Nate. It's important to my love, so it's important for us. We're all her friends." Dan told him.
"I see. Paladin, you will guide our "guests" through the Prydwyn. Report back at 0900 hours. I will have work for you then. Dismissed." the Elder said.
"Yes, sir. I will see to it." Danse replied.
"Follow me, and Danse will take the rear. Hancock, you might want to consider heading back to Goodneighbor. Or one of the Minutemen settlements if that suits you better. Things may get unpleasant for a ghoul here." Nate said.
"Nah, you know I can handle myself. Besides, who else would take care of Trader Dan and his lady friend? There are two ghouls on the Blimp of Steel. Ya know, case you hadn't noticed." Hancock said with a dismissive toss of his hand.
I offered my gratitude to the mayor, to which he made some remark about being "for the people". Should've guessed he'd say something like that. Dan shook his hand as well. I thought that he was glad to have another ghoul to accompany us in this place. Strength in numbers, right?
Nate looked at Hancock as if he were trying to burn a hole in him simply by staring him down. The ghoul returned the stare towards his companion. In the end, Nate shrugged and told Hancock it was completely up to him.
Presented with no other option, we started down the hatch with Nate and Danse. Hancock stayed near Dan and I. Sandra snuck up to the mayor's side, batted her eyelashes at him, and jumped right into flirting. Dan smiled at me watching the two of them acting like this was nothing more than a double date.
As we wound our way through the various people and stations, I paid progressively less attention to my surroundings. Completely occupied with my fears of what would come next, I snapped back to reality as the group stopped at a row of cots with footlockers at the end of them. Danse was making some sort of announcement that I missed most of.
"…under watch. After we take you to see Proctor Quinlan, all of you will report back here until Elder Maxson decides what the next step will be." Danse ordered.
"Stay here? Are you out of your mind?" Sandra asked.
"You can't hold us hostage! We've done nothing wrong. You dipshits ambushed us!" shouted Ollie, his voice echoing through where we stood.
"You'll do as you're told. Same goes for you, John. You were given fair warning." Nate dictated.
"What?! Nate, I've got mayoral duties to fulfill. I ain't stayin' here with this feisty little bunch, and definitely not with ol' Dansey-pants." Hancock said as he began to leave.
Nate pulled the same fancy pistol I'd seen him with the night of the battle for Sanctuary. He didn't directly aim it at Hancock or any of us, but had it raised enough to be worrisome.
"You will do as you are told. Must I repeat myself? You have no authority here, and you know it." Nate threatened.
Before Hancock could go any further, Dan grasped his arm and pulled him back towards us.
"John, just stay. Honestly, I'm afraid for us and you are far more skilled at combat than I am. Help protect my girl, and I will pay any cost." Dan asked him quietly.
He looked from Dan to me and back again. Hancock looked down for a moment and shook his head.
"Man, you are gonna owe me so many chems. Deal." he said, sticking his hand out for Dan to shake and seal the deal.
As the men were working out their arrangement, I stepped over to Ollie and Mel. They both seemed to be taking in our surroundings, mapping the possibility of an escape.
"Any chance of fighting our way out? At least before our dear friend hooks up with Hancock over there." I asked, keeping an eye on Sandra while she resumed her 'snag a man' routine.
"Doubt it. The lady works fast once she's found a target." Mel replied, nodding her head towards Sandra.
"Picked a great time for her antics, too. Maybe if there's enough 'ghoul lovers' with us, they'll throw us out." Ollie said.
"Gonna take one for the team, babe?" Mel said with a smirk.
Danse announced our departure to meet this proctor over the sound of us jabbering. We followed the Paladin, and had to contend with all the inquisitive and sometimes disgusted eyes following our progress. I still held onto the hope that once night rolled around, we'd be able to sneak out of here. Suddenly in my peripheral vision, a dark streak raced by. A cat went shooting past us as we turned a corner into an office of sorts.
"That's a first. Haven't seen any felines in the wastes yet." I thought.
"Emmett, get back here! Where do you think you're running off to?" came a voice from the room we were approaching.
"Proctor Quinlan, Elder Maxson has sent us to discuss the 'preservation project' with you or Senior Scribe McAllister. Ms. Morley has arrived." Danse told the bespectacled man.
"Really, Paladin? That was faster than I'd anticipated. I'll call McAllister over in a moment. Which of these women would be the lady of the hour?" Quinlan said.
I looked to my friends before stepping forward. Not knowing what was about to transpire increased my anxiety. My attention was commanded by this Quinlan man. I wanted Dan to hold me but there was palpable tension in the air from all parties that made it seem inadvisable. But I felt his hand brush against mine, and I reached behind me to pull him forward. He reached my side, and guided my body to his.
"I'm Brenna Morley. At least one version apparently." I said sarcastically.
"You have no idea just how true your words are, lady." came a man's voice from behind us all.
"Senior Scribe McAllister. Your timing is…impeccable." Quinlan said dryly.
We all turned to the entrance of the room. A man in light armor stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall. He was on the tall side, and softer around the middle than most of the Brotherhood people we'd seen so far. His coal black hair stood in mussed spikes, and ice blue eyes stared back at me.
Uncomfortable silence fell among us all.
Mel was the first to break the quiet. In just a few short strides, she'd reached this scribe fellow. She held out her hand expectantly for a shake. She wasn't left hanging.
"Melissa Stryker. That gorgeous piece of meat over there is my husband, Oliver." she said curtly.
"Senior Scribe Elliot McAllister. Good to meet you. I take it that you are Ms. Morley's protectors? Or perhaps hired mercenaries?" he replied, sounding genuinely curious about us.
"Mercenaries? Do any of these folks look like badasses? Pffft." Hancock laughed.
Sandra socked him hard in the arm. Hancock choked on his laughter.
"We are badass. You just haven't seen it yet." Sandra boasted.
Dan looked to me for my go-ahead to talk to this guy. He was nervous and wanted my okay, but I didn't know why. I gave his warm hand a gentle squeeze before he spoke.
"We're no hired guns. Sandra Wilson, and the Strykers are Brenna's friends. I'm Daniel Adams. I stay by her side because we love each other." he told this Brotherhood scribe.
"Wonderful! That's plain to see, what with her touching you openly, and your endearing looks in her direction. Ah, but back to the business at hand, right? Let's go somewhere more private to discuss my findings. Come with me." McAllister said, gesturing for us to exit Proctor Quinlan's office.
All nine of us left Quinlan's room, and were led towards a large section of nothing but scientific stations. A bunch of raised beds held a garden of sorts. A dead and stripped super mutant was laid out on a gurney in the corner. Tables filled with experiments in progress were in neat rows with Brotherhood scientists moving to and fro, their noses buried in clipboards. Once we arrived at the start of the garden, Senior Scribe McAllister held out his arm to stop Danse and Nate.
"That will be all, gentlemen. You won't be needed from here on out." Elliot said. His tone would brook no argument.
"That's insubordination, scribe! I am in charge of the five people Elder Maxson ordered to be brought in." Danse said, his voice heated.
"McAllister wouldn't dare. Not with what we need to discuss." Nate said with a snotty attitude.
Elliot scowled at Danse and Nate. I'd hate to see this man truly angered if his irritation alone went to this level.
Elliot crossed his arms and said "I don't give a fuck what Maxson ordered. I have been tasked with managing the intel and tech behind the preservation project. You will comply, or I will go to higher channels."
Nate began to raise his pistol before Danse stopped him. His thoroughly pissed off face would've sent me skittering away if it had not been for current circumstances.
"You think you're in charge? How laughably cute. I will be taking control right this second, or you will live to regret it your whole, short life." Nate snarled.
"A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it." I sang under my breath.
"That's enough, Knight. Shooting one of our own for such as this is extreme. You're interfering with Brotherhood operations. McAllister may not have a lot of fans here but he does have our loyalty, same as any other one of our brothers and sisters." Danse said sternly, holding Nate's shooting arm down.
"I won't forget this." Nate barked as he stalked away.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, sweetums! Toodles!" Elliot sang, waving enthusiastically as Nate left.
Danse scowled at the scribe.
"Just because I stopped him from shooting you dead does not mean I like you." he said before following behind Nate.
"Of course you don't. Feeling's mutual." Elliot said quietly.
"I just love uncomfortable confrontations before bedtime, don't you?" Mel said to the group.
"Uncomfortable? You kidding me? It was awesome!" her husband answered.
Mel sighed, and shook her head. This was her husband at his best. Hancock gave Ollie an approving clap on the back.
"I like this guy. Thinks like me and that's hard to come by." John said enthusiastically.
"Great. There's two of them." Mel said with a sigh.
A shrill whistle pierced the background chatter of the science wing. McAllister pulled his fingers from his mouth, and ordered all who weren't with him for briefing to leave until further ordered. Confused scientists gathered their notes and left the area. The scribe ushered us over to a table, and motioned for us to pull over more chairs to accommodate the remaining seven of us.
McAllister said "Alright. Two things first. Number one: The Ms. Morley practically sitting in her ghoulfriend's lap is one of three that we know of. Number two: who wants to break the hell out of here?"