Gate: Thus the Brotherhood of Steel Lyon's Pride Fought in Their Land

Chapter Twenty - Three - Adam

The trip back from Italica had filled Adam's mind with a few ideas that he wasn't completely sure of. According to the laws of this land he more or less was married to Princess Piña Co Lada. He was also married to Bozes Co Palesti, although it wasn't an official marriage to either of them. They had both stated that the moment they were claimed no other could do so. From what he understood it meant that they were forsaking all others. That sounded like married to him.

It also meant that in the same way he was married to Sarah. He'd planned on that happening anyway, or at least he had certainly hoped that it would. Instead he looked at the book he was holding. It had been given to him by Princess Piña, and inside of it was the most ancient laws laid down by Grognak himself. Thankful for the comics he'd read from the series he had some limited idea of what it was that he was reading.

The book itself seemed to be made of valuable materials, although that didn't matter so much to him. What mattered was the laws inside. Whoever Grognak had been there were hints of the English language throughout the book itself. It seemed to happen once in a while, but there would be a phrase that was something that would have come from normal English. Still, he studied it for a bit before he looked up to see Sentinel Reeder simply standing across from him, "Any thoughts Sentinel?" he asked wondering if he could strike up a conversation.

"Just that I didn't think diplomacy would happen the way it did," he replied, "What happened to that prince needed to happen."

He seemed to pause for a moment, "In truth, worse needed to happen to him. He basically acted like a raider. Our policy toward raiders has never really changed. They are to be dealt with, and done so quickly and efficiently," he replied as he faced toward Adam, "So, I feel unsettled that we didn't deal with him completely."

"We couldn't," Sarah said from her spot in the APC, "As much as I would have liked to have ensured that he couldn't do anything like he did before again, and I would have liked to have made sure he couldn't. We couldn't. The fact remains that he is part of the royal family."

"Apparently he is also your brother-in-law," Sentinel Reeder stated, "Might be time to talk about having him removed from his royal status."

He seemed to be quiet for a moment, "Look, I've seen assholes like him before in positions of power. I've seen what they've done with the little power they held," he replied as he sat there, "They've always made others suffer, and they usually brought entire groups down with them when they fell. Taking him out would have likely saved everyone a lot of trouble."

Adam shook his head, "I don't think that Princess Piña Co Lada would agree," he replied, "I understand what you're saying, I really do, but it is her brother."

Reeder was quiet for a moment, "And that makes her opinion on the matter skewed," he replied, "I'm not saying that she shouldn't care for him. It's her blood, and she's going to care for him because he's her blood. But, I can promise that he's going to do some vile things in the future. I've seen it before, right before the war, and I'm sure that he's going to be more of the same."

Adam looked at him, "What happened, right before the war, what was it that you saw?"

The sound of Sentinel Reeder breathing out through his helmet could be heard, "It was the Mayor of Boston," he said as he sat there, "He was visiting the University, and it was about a week before the bombs fell. He was giving a speech at the college, talking about patriotism, the need to join the selective service, and of course the importance of ensuring that everyone voted. It was the normal speeches that most of the politicians gave when doing a tour of college campuses."

He looked at them, "The problem came after the speech. The mayor at the time was Donald McKinzie. He was herald as a family man, had a wife, two kids, and seemed to be a decent person," he said as he looked toward them, "He just kept his darker side hidden better than most. After the speech he met with the head of the student government. Her name was Victoria Sellers. She was maybe twenty one years old, a decent study, and a decent human being," he shook his head as he looked back at them, "She went into the student government office with him, and never came back out."

Adam looked at him, "Wait, he killed her?"

Sentinel Reeder studied him, "I know that a search was done for her. Mayor McKinze was asked about what happened after the meeting, but he had stated that it was nothing. She asked a few questions, he answered a few, and that was it," Her body was found after the bombs dropped. One of the few police officers that was still active found her. She had been stuffed in a large suitcase, nude, and it looked as if she had been assaulted multiple times. They found her in what had been the trunk of the mayor's car."

"Wait, weren't you with Elder Maxson at the time?" Sarah asked as she looked at him, "How would you know?"

He looked toward her, "My brother was the police officer that found her. Communications were spotty at the time, but he let me know. He'd filled me in on the case beforehand, and then he let me know what happened afterward," he replied, "Yeah, I was in California at the time, but he managed to get through. He thought that I would want to know. Victoria's family was already gone. Apparently they were accepted into a vault under some middle school. At least that's what he told me."

Adam listened to that, and he shook his head. If her parents, and siblings, had been inducted into a Vault then there was nothing else to be done. If she would have been found alive she would have been alone, "What happened to the mayor?" he asked, as he looked toward Sentinel Reeder, "Was he killed in the bombing?"

Sentinel Reeder looked at him, "What I know beyond what my brother managed to tell me about the case is limited," he admitted, "He told me that he was working with the rest of the police officers that remained to keep the peace, but that more and more were taking off in the middle of the night. Basically, it came down to there being less than a fourth of the entire police force left. He said that for the most part those that remained were trying to keep some law and order."

Adam understood then, "If it was like anywhere else I imagine that he did the best he could for as long as he could."

Sentinel Reeder nodded, "I didn't get along with Joey," he said, his voice carrying, "I was the older brother, he was the baby of the family, but I guess when the end came he didn't have anyone else to turn to."

He looked ahead, "Joey became a cop because he thought that it would be something that he could use to advance a political career," he said, just talking, "The case with Victoria was the first time he'd been assigned to anything major, and even then he was a second investigator. The main was some Detective named Valentine. I only know because Joey gripped about how he wasn't getting the chance to prove himself. He was an entitled little snot, but the last couple of transmissions I got from him sounded like he had to do some growing up."

He finally looked directly at Adam, "I don't know what happened to him after he found Victoria, but I'd like to think that he stayed behind and tried to keep the peace for a little longer."

Adam listened to him, and he tried to imagine what it was like. For him he'd grown up in a Vault. Everyone inside of the Vault knew everyone else. Communication wasn't an issue since the entire Vault had access to intercoms. There were even radios that allowed limited access to the outside. That limited access more or less began and ended just past the Vault door. The signal was so weak by the time it got past the giant steel door that couldn't reach very far.

Still, he grew up in what was a very stable environment, and then he was tossed out into the wasteland when he left. He was cast into a world that he didn't understand, and one that he was trying to come to grips with. It was a world that he just didn't understand all that well at first, and it took a lot of trial and error to learn about it. Even then the wasteland was different from what Sentinel Reeder's brother likely faced. He faced raiders as they were just starting to come about.

He likely faced the first feral ghouls, and all of it pointed to a world that was straight from the horror novels of old. It had to be hell for him, and he couldn't deny how bad it must have been for him, "Have you ever thought about trying to find out what happened to him?"

He looked at Sarah who had asked, "I mean, there's likely some record that exists. I doubt that it's official, but maybe holotapes, or maybe even a journal that was left behind," she said as she looked toward him, "We could see if there's any record left."

He shook his head, "There's a chance, however slim, that he's still around," he replied, his raspy voice sounded tired, "But even if that's the case he could be feral, and I wouldn't really know how to handle that."

Adam felt his heart sink at that. If his brother was feral then there was really only once choice to be made. He'd have to be put down. Ferals didn't come back to their senses. When they went feral they were gone. There was no coming back from it. They were driven by instinct alone, and they pretty much anything that moved with a heart beat. He'd seen a pack of ferals take down a radscorpion before.

They'd fell on it, hitting it, ripping at it, and while it managed to get a few of them, the number of them was enough to overcome it. They had ended up ripping it apart, and then they ate at it. He'd been hiding in the shadows and watched the entire exchange. It happened in a few moments, and it was enough to ensure that ferals were busy. The thought that someone that Sentinel Reeder cared for could be like that felt horrible. Adam didn't pretend to imagine what that would have been like.

Even losing his dad wasn't like that. It had been fairly quick with the water purifier flooding with radiation. The moment that happened it was enough to ensure that his dad would be dead in seconds. It hadn't been for Dr. Lee he was certain that they all would have been very dead. The Brotherhood of Steel was the one thing that managed to fend off the Enclave long enough to get the water purifier to working properly, and to ensure that all of the wasteland had access to it.

Adam looked toward Sentinel Reeder and tried to imagine what it would be like to have never found his dad. Instead he had the few bits of communication he found along the way, but never actually found him, and it hurt. He shook his head, "Maybe, I mean, if they don't mind, we could go over to where he was stationed. There might be something that could at least let you have some closure."

The helmet shook, "Thanks, but no," he replied and before either of them could retort, "Like I said before we weren't overly close. Sure, he was my brother, and I worried about him. I still do, but finding out what happened to him two hundred years ago isn't going to do anyone other than me some good. I've got to consider the Brotherhood before everything else, and that means that our mission is important."

Adam nodded, "What if the police stations had information that we could use, gear that we could salvage, or even information that would be of use."

Sentinel Reeder looked toward him, "There was an expedition sent to Boston already, and they never checked back in," he replied as he looked toward him, "They're counted as lost, and we need to accept that. I know that we sent a mercenary team over, but they had a very specific goal. The best I can offer is the last two stations he told me about working at. I can't even promise that they were the only ones that he worked at."

"I understand," Sarah said after that, "But that doesn't mean that we should completely ignore Boston. There could be a wealth of resources that we could use. As I understand the General Atomics Factory was there, and it would be a benefit to access the Mr. Handy's and Mr. Gutsys that exist out in the wastes."

There was silence for a moment, "You're going to send someone anyway, aren't you?"

Sarah smiled at him, and Adam watched as her smile almost seemed smug, "Well, if it is to find information that would be for the benefit of the Brotherhood of Steel, would ensure that we have further resources for establishing our base here, and would help the people of the Wasteland then I'm sure that we could spare a team."

It was difficult to read Sentinel Reeder's body language with him trapped inside of his power armor, but if Adam was to guess he likely was irritated that Sarah was finding a way around his excuses for not going.

"It's still not a good idea," he replied, "We don't know what it's like over there, and we don't know how bad things might have gotten."

Adam looked at him for a moment, "Regardless, Elder Lyons liked the idea of us accompanying Sierra Petrovita to Nuka World," Adam said as he looked toward him, "Being that the Nuka World Radio signal that she informed us about states that the train to Nuka World is located just outside of Boston it really makes sense to go."

He could almost feel the eyes of Sentinel Reeder cutting into him, "I know that it wasn't what you wanted to hear," he said quickly, "but if Nuka World has more resources, and it likely does, then it would only make sense to check out Boston before heading there. It might come to pass that we set up some kind of trade center there."

He looked toward Sentinel Reeder and hoped that he wasn't too irritated by the idea, "If we happen to find out something about your brother, then it's honestly just icing on the sweet bun at this point, right?"

"I can find no fault in your statement," he finally replied, "I still feel that it is a possible abuse of a mission to look for information for just one individual."

"It's not just for you," Sarah quickly amended, "Yes, finding out about your brother is mostly for you, but finding out what happened in the first few weeks after the war is important for the Brotherhood. Having knowledge of what happened, what the people did as the wasteland started, and how they managed to survive is important. We need the records so that we can make sure that history doesn't repeat itself."

"I see," he finally admitted, "Very well. If we are to go then I believe that we ensure to make allies where we can along the way."

"That might have already happened," Sarah replied, "Reilly's Rangers reported a group called the Minutemen that were assisting wastelanders. Apparently they're a well armed militia, and they seem to be fairly disciplined. I believe that we could form friendly terms with them. In addition they noted that there was a member of the NCR that happened to make his way there. If there is one there, then it is possible that they will be coming in sooner."

"The NCR isn't what you want to believe it is," Sentinel Reeder said after a moment, "They have rebuilt the government from before the war. They have also ensured that it truly is a federal government, and not one that can be ruled by the squabbling states. Their presidents so far have been fairly intelligent, but all of them tend to look toward moderately short term goals. The last one that I had to deal with really only thought about ten years ahead."

Adam looked at him, "Could it be that he was trying to set things up to work toward a better future for them?"

Sentinel Reeder nodded, "I'm sure that he was, but in doing so he was effectively cutting off his own nose to spite his face," he said before he sighed, "The NCR has a habit of taking locations into itself, and more or less making the locals into citizens of the NCR. In doing so they effectively ensures that it has more citizens, more laborers, more farmers, and more people to draft into their military. The downside is that it causes friction from the locals they bring into NCR. Many of them don't want to be part of it. Sure, they like having stability, but they don't like having to pay taxes or answer to an authority."

He breathed out, "The NCR doesn't enslaved people, they indoctrinate them. They make sure that they see the benefit of being in the NCR, and they overstress the dangers of not being part of it," he said as he looked at them, "That said, they don't always get along with the Brotherhood of Steel. I know for the fact that they made the Brotherhood relocate from an experimental power plant they had discovered. There's a legitimate worry that they could attempt the same thing again."

Sarah looked at him, "How many members of the Brotherhood were there when they were forced to relocate?"

Sentinel Reeder breathed out, his raspy voice carried the sound of the rebreather inside of the power armor, "About a hundred and fifty members, in total," he replied as he looked at her, "That was including initiates, squires, knights, and paladins. I wasn't officially part of that chapter, but I was there after they were forced to move. They had went to an old military bunker, and licked their wounds."

She nodded, "We have more members," she stated, her answer honest, "I'm not saying that we're not vulnerable, far from it, but we're not merely a hundred and fifty strong."

He shook his head, "You don't understand," he replied as he looked at her, "The NCR isn't an army in the hundreds, they in the thousands, the upper thousands, close a hundred thousand strong, and they have advanced weapons. It's not facing antique armor, swords, spears, and shields."

He squared his shoulders, "Yes, I believe that in a battle of comparable sizes, perhaps even double our numbers, we would be victorious," he stated, his raspy voice sounding proud, "But it won't be double, triple, or even quadruple. The first encounter may be merely double, possibly, but the next will be far greater. We'd end up needing something like Liberty Prime again."

Adam looked at him, "So, you're saying that they're a match for the Enclave?"

He nodded, "They are, but not for the same reasons. The Enclave had advanced weapons, more advanced power armor, and better defensive capabilities than we did. Liberty Prime truly was our deciding factor. If we didn't have him during the battle I'm certain that we would have lost," he replied before he looked at Sarah, "Tell me that I'm wrong."

Sarah breathed out, "No, you're right," she admitted, "I'm sure that we're attempting to rebuild Liberty Prime."

There was a moment of silence, "How long until he could be rebuilt? Days, weeks, or are we talking years?"

She shook her head, "Likely years," she admitted after a moment, "Most of the parts needed for him have to be built from scratch. He was the most advanced robot ever created, but even when he was made everything had to be built to scale. If there were extra parts for him, they were never found."

Sentinel Reeder nodded, "That is my point," he replied, "Our best offensive weapon against the NCR is currently in multiple pieces. I'm sure that there already talks about putting Liberty Prime back together, but that's going to be put on hold until they're certain that it can be done."

Adam looked at him for a moment, "So, what happens if the NCR does come to the capital wasteland, but they don't want the Citadel? What if they want the white house or something like that?"

Sentinel Reeder shrugged, "Likely they'll be allowed to claim whatever isn't occupied by the Brotherhood of Steel or one of our friendlies," he said, "If it comes down to them attempting to push a group that has a good relationship with us out we will push back. The Brotherhood of Steel is loyal to those loyal to them."

Adam nodded at that answer. He knew that Sentinel Reeder was telling the truth. All of his dealings with the Brotherhood of Steel had been more than fair. They'd treated him like one of their own, and then he was made one of them. He became a knight, now a paladin, and in addition he and Sarah was together. Actually, if the laws of this side of the gate were accurate they were basically married. Right along with both Princess Piña and Bozes were also married to him. It was odd that he was in a polygamous relationship.

That wasn't a thing in the Vault, but he'd seen something like it in a few places. One of which was the Republic of Dave. Although if he was honest the Republic of Dave seemed more like a cult than it did an actual place with normal relationships. Still, both Princess Piña and Bozes had stated that they would be loyal to him, but both had to return to the capital.

"Worrying about the other two?" Sentinel Reeder asked, "I know the look. I've worn it more times than not."

Adam looked at him, "I heard you mention Lucy," he said, "I hope that it's not digging to deep, but were you both married?"

Sentinel Reeder sat there for a moment, "Right before I was deployed," he replied, his voice sounding almost nostalgic, "I was sent over to California, and from there I was supposed to be deployed over to the U.K. for relief efforts. The idea was to help restore the rest of the world into some kind of order. The bombs fell before I had a chance to be deployed over there. I was actually waiting to board the transport plane."

He looked at him, "Were you in your power armor at the time?"

Sentinel Reeder nodded, "Yeah," he replied, "Not that mattered. The airfield took a direct hit. The power armor worked, but it didn't keep all of the radiation out. Enough got in. I met up with Roger Maxson not longer after."

He looked at them, "Elder Maxson did some things at the time which would have been considered treasonous," he stated, "He killed a science team that was researching on American citizens. They were working on making monsters. Super soldiers that could withstand anything. It didn't work out too well. We got the super mutants from it."

He shook his helmeted head, "Look, things were practically the wild west then," he stated, "Laws as we knew them were gone. The Government abandoned everyone, and they gave standing orders to the soldiers still deployed to go through and do a sweep. Basically, they were to kill all non-compliant citizens. They were to center rescue missions around level three or higher government officials, and they were supposed to ensure that influential corporate leaders that hadn't already escaped where given places in government bomb shelters."

For a moment it sounded like he growled, "It was a slap in the face for any respectable soldier. So, Roger Maxson had already separated himself, and his platoon, from the Government. I joined them. Lucy wasn't in California."

He looked at Adam, "We reserved her a spot in a Vault," he said, "I was originally stationed and lived in Oklahoma, and she made it into one of them. I can only hope that it wasn't one that had some experiment going on in it."

Adam looked at him, "We can check the Vault Tec Mainframe," he replied, "I mean I'm sure that you already have, but we could check to see what Vaults were out there."

Sentinel Reeder shook his head, "I want to believe that she had a long life, and that she died of old age in a Vault. I really don't want to find out that she was in some Vault where they had to recycle their dead into food or it was a glorified rape factory," he said as he looked toward Adam, "Because I know that's about par for Vault Tec."

Adam couldn't really argue. He'd seen some of the experiments up close. The mind control Vault came to mind right away. Of course also Vault 108 with the Gary clones was a close second. He could understand that believing that someone he loved made it into a Vault, and that they grew old, had a full life, and were spared any horrible experiments likely was the saving grace for Sentinel Reeder.

"I'm sure that she made it into a control Vault."

He looked at Adam, "I hope so," he replied as he sat there, "I really do. We married right before I deployed, but we dated for about two months. She had told me that she had a surprise for me."

He laughed, "I'm sure that I know what it was. I'm sure because of how we were," he looked at Adam, "So, I really need the hope that she made it."

Sarah cleared her throat, "There's a good chance that your brother did some good, that he lived a full life, and that he helped people."

Sentinel Reeder nodded, "There's also the chance that he's a feral ghoul," he replied, "I'm fine with us finding out, but if he is, then I know what has to be done."