After they left Diamond City, the General put them on pace for the Castle. Preston stayed there to start preparations for what the General referred to as opening ceremonies. She took off by herself. On one hand, she was out of uniform in a custom leather jacket and jeans. On the other, she was encased in her specific X-01 Mk. VI power armor painted in Minutemen colors.
She managed to make good time despite Quincy's location to the Atom Cats' Garage. Johnny D rounded the gate first, so she held back until he patrolled past. Then she made a bee line for Rowdy.
"What it be, chickadee?", the mechanic and saleswoman greeted.
The General tried to parse what the purposefully complex slang the Atom Cats used. "I'm trying to pull the Commonwealth together in a government. I wanted to talk to Zeke about integrating you guys."
"I'm hip. As long as it's not a neo-lib put on to cop neo-con principles under a guise of progressivism." Rowdy stated.
The General regarded her anew. "It's not.
"Um. Why do you know the underpinnings of 21st century federal policy?"
"Every Atom Cat's gotta keep her claws sharp, if they want everything plus.", Rowdy replied. "Zeke's playing gin mill cowboy."
Then she returned to the part she was sanding the inside of. The General could see that Rowdy felt the conversation was over, so she obviously told her where to find Zeke. Where that was exactly was a riddle that was still a mystery to her.
She rode her armor throughout the encampment set up in a Red Rocket coolant shop looking for the Atom Cats' de facto (but never in name, Daddy O) leader. Eventually she saw Zeke sitting at Bluejay's bar. She moved to snap her fingers and the suit tried to emulate the action. "Gin mill means bar."
The remaining Atom Cats turned to see who had come into their space. A raukus of greetings came up from the group. "I see you all are still jungled up.", the General stated.
"You know your groceries.", Zeke replied. "Not just in here, but out on the concrete turf if the squares aren't giving me the business."
Bluejay nodded. "Hear the Minutemen are coming down in a storm."
The General dismounted her armor as it unfolded. "Actually, we're on the uptick and I hope it stays that way."
Everyone else present laughed out loud, if Roxxy did a little uncomfortably.
"What can we do you for, headmaster?", Zeke asked.
"Well, if you're clued in, you know about the pow-wow.", the General offered. "And I think the hippest cats in the 'Wealth are clued in."
"Look at the x-ray eyes on this one.", Duke commented. "Yeah, apparently every Mayor's been hit up for a senator."
"Senator?", the General mused. "Hm, I was thinking more like councilor but it could work.
"Why I came here was to get you guys in on the ground floor."
Bluejay stretched his arms over the bar like he was hugging it from an awkward angle. "I don't wanna get involved in any pseudo-Marxist regulation of classical capitalism disguised as a welfare state."
The honorary Atom Cat's eyes clenched. "No one's trying to tax your merchandise.
"Why is every one in need of a semester's psyche credits from a political science double major?"
"Gotta keep our claws sharp." was chorused around the room.
"I don't care how many yards you've pulled from that bar.", the General began. "I just need everyone in the Commonwealth involved, okay. You're the last community that isn't directly flying the Minutemen flag that I need to get to sign on."
"You got the Forged to the table?", Zeke exclaimed.
"Hell no.", the General stated. "The council's only going to have Vault 81, Diamond City, Goodneighbor, Bunker Hill and you guys at it. That should be enough councilors to keep the Institute's vote at the table in check.
"As soon as I can, I'm going to address the Forged with the same tone of voice I've addressed the Brotherhood of Steel."
"Bangin'", Zeke stated. "We could use that foundry to/"
"I'm sorry, Zeke.", the General stated. "Once the Minutemen secure the Saugus facility, it'll be inducted into Colonel Brandis' motorpool. Outside entities won't be allowed access for security of the Commonwealth. Of course, members of the council will be able to submit work orders. I suspect Vault 81 will put in for replacement parts for their generator even though they haven't just yet and first spot on the waiting list is still open."
Zeke nodded knowingly. "Well those Forged are a zonk on the head, anyway.
"Look, I might be able to do you a solid. It might be a gas to dip my toes in the Athenian marketplace every so often. But when I'm not there, you gotta let our girl Roxxy speak for us."
"Certainly.", the General agreed.
Zeke continued. "And I don't want to see Bob Crosby or his brother Bing around here neither, copping a bit."
The Generals eyes flickered in memory. "I think...chems are legal in the Commonwealth, so far. There's no narcs to look anyway.
"Zeke. Atom Cats. This is going to be the first council meeting. There aren't any rules in place yet. Mostly, I want to draft up a bunch of rights that everyone can agree to, honestly. The real issue is that Institute is coming into the light for the first time in a long time. I want everyone to feel comfortable with that."
"Comfortable?", Johnny D asked as he rode his power armor into the room. "With the Institute? You beat the gravel with them."
The General nodded as she got back into hers. "Yes, Johnny."
"Can the lip." Zeke backed her. "If there's a wasp in the room, I'd like to know where it is. And a dragon's a might wasp."
"C.S. Lewis.", Bluejay noted.
Johnny D closed in on Zeke and started arguing in fast pace philosophical jargon and compressed lingo. Pretty soon every Atom Cat from the entire encampment was enraptured in the debate. The General turned her suit's head from one to the other in turn.
Zeke flashed her a single wave. She took that as her cue to leave.
