The General nodded.
The ghoul took that as permission to go on. "Shroud fans, Kent Connolly here. I've got more thoroughly unexpected programming for you. Let me explain.
"Thanks to the General of the Commonwealth, we/"
She interrupted. "The General of the Minutemen. The communities have their representatives on the council of the Commonwealth."
Kent nodded enthusiastically as if he could be seen by his listening audience. "Well, anyway, we are up to two separate broadcasts a day.
"Ever since finding cache of holotapes in the locke on the way to Egret Tour Marina - both now under Minutemen protection - we have more episodes of the the 'classic' Silver Shroud. Our p.m. broadcast of the 'classic' Silver Shroud radio hour you know and love now has episodes once thought lost to the Great War but like the Shroud himself, has walked out of the past and into the Commonwealth. Be sure to tune in.
"But also don't miss the exciting, all new, all original episodes set in the glory days of the pre-war Commonwealth. Thanks to the voice credits of George Cooper, Rex Goodman and the occasional help of the lovely guest actress Anne Hargraves of WRVR and undisclosed writers, the Silver Shroud stalks again. Without the General's clear and safe roads, none of this would be possible folks. Support your local Minutemen!
"Which brings me to the news that interrupts our regular broadcast schedule. I have here with me, everyone's favorite Vault Dweller, the General herself."
The General smiled. "Thank you for having me, Kent."
"Oh, the pleasure is all ours, General.", he countered. "What's the big news that you want to share with all the Silver Shroud fans out there?"
"Well, as you may have heard, the notorious gang of outlaws that have always referred to themselves as the Triggermen, in order to communicate their murderous ways - I'm sure, has claimed to realize the benefits of not facing the justice of the Minutemen. In order to avoid bloodshed, I've allowed them to plead their case. The negotiations will be taking place right here in Goodneighbor. And to make sure that the process is completely transparent to the public, I'm ensuring radio coverage for the event.", she answered.
"How are you accomplishing that?", Kent asked.
The General didn't quite explain. "Well, in depth coverage and analysis will likely be done the team over at Public Occurences. I understand that a reporter is going to be present for the proceedings and attempting to meet with both sides. This will document it for posterity as well as offering every reader along our provisioner's and the independent caravan's lines the opportunity to form their own, personal and free, opinion. But in order to be above board in all things, I'm afraid I'll have to cut into some of even the vaunted character's air time."
"But why would this station lose air time?", Kent continued.
"The Commonwealth needs you, Mr. Connolly.", the General informed. "Your station is the one that operates out of Goodneighbor. Therefore, it's you who have the best opportunity to present the proceedings to the Commonwealth."
"Oh wow.", Kent realized. "Do you really think it would help? I mean, word around is that you were a prosecutor before you were frozen and the Triggermen take after pre-war mobsters. Isn't that like taking hanging a crook before the Mistress of Mysteries herself?"
"I understand your reluctance.", the General assured. "And I understand that your radio station has a...singular focus. But I have a strong belief that the Commonwealth is strongest when the public knows what its government is doing on their behalf. And while I feel that the opportunity to end the threat of the Triggermen without resorting to force is too great to pass up, I also have a duty to show that to every citizen of the Commonwealth. Broadcasting the proceedings will aid in that."
"Alright, General.", the ghoul stated reluctantly.
The General shook her head. She prodded with a circular motion of her hand.
Kent nodded. "But what about security? Some of this equipment is pretty rare."
"That's a fair question, Kent.", the General said in a too-much-a-politician-to-show-annoyance tone of voice. "Due to a need for neutrality until the matter is settled, the Watchmen of Goodneighbor will be handling security. But that won't mean that the community will be any less protected. Minutemen troops will have the city surrounded, on the lookout for any threats. While they will be headquartered in our office in town, the Minutemen won't be officially operating on the streets of any community."
Kent shrugged. The General mouthed 'yes'.
"Okay then, you've convinced me.", the ghoul 'agreed'. "Keep it locked here folks. More Silver Shroud, classic and re-imagined to come. And exclusive on radio: the negotiated surrender of the nefarious Triggermen.
"Now, continuing with a classic rediscovered episode: The Shroud, Untouchable?"
Kent worked a few buttons on his set up. He turned around when he seemed satisfied. The General listened in on her Pip Boy, and the holotape and not the microphone seemed to be broadcasting.
Now they acknowledged the man standing in the room.
"This is Niel Freund.", the General stated. "He's here for the last part of his training. To take my place."
Niel positively flipped. "General?"
She scoffed. "No. No no no no no no. No.
"My other identity."
Kent leaned forward. "You mean he knows?"
"Now.", she informed.
"What other ident...oh.", Niel realized. "You mean, the broadcasts. When Diamond City Radio warned of a superhero."
Kent smiled broadly. "That's right. You're looking at her. Our very own, modern day, Silver Shroud."
The General laid out the SILVER SHROUD COSTUME, SILVER SHROUD HAT, PATROLMAN'S SUNGLASSES, and most spectacularly the SILVER SUBMACHINE GUN.
Niel still had an incredulous voice. "I don't believe it."
"And you need to keep it that way.", the General warned. "The public has to be afraid of the Silver Shroud like children are of monsters under the bed. And that means a complete lack of information. This goes way beyond a secret identity. This means no one ever seeing the Shroud casually, not even on patrol or something of the sort. He has to come out of no where, fly back to the shadows and the only people who truly know one way or the other is an obsessive fan boy like Kent. And me of course."
"That's what the training was for.", the man continued.
Kent's grin never faded. "I think he's got it."
"You sent me to that cage fighter for this, not just to toughen me up. And MacCready: he said he preferred more of a sniper's touch but that you ordered him to teach me the SUBMACHINE GUN. It was all for me to be...the new Silver Shroud?"
"Not quite yet.", the General warned. "Kent still has to teach you the theatrics. The lore. The presence of the Shroud. The results I need won't be from just wearing the costume and taking care of a few raiders. Any survivors needs to have heard a proper "Death has come for you. And I...am it's shroud!". Then you'll be ready to wear the armor."
"Don't worry, Shro...General.", Kent assured. "I'll get him up to speed. With these holotapes you got me, it'll be a cinch."
The General stood and looked Niel in the eye with his back against the wall. "You do know what this is and how important it is, right? There's coming a time where I won't be able to afford Minutemen to crime like the people would like because we'll be involved with actual hostilities. Not just the Rust Devils or the Forged. I mean real, actual fights that I'll need everyone to win.
"Raiders and other common criminals like the Triggermen, if they were allowed, would try to make up for lost time. A Silver Shroud waiting in the shadows and ready to pounce in ambush is exactly the type of thing that can supplement like an entire police force.
"But since the Minutemen haven't come out and stated that we're doing anything of the sort, we have to take care of it secretly. And this is top secret: not even my intelligence branch has figured out what you've been up to. They think I've previously come to the Memory Den to use Dr. Amari's expertise to rig the Synth tests in their favor vs. the Institute and was covering it up with establishing the Minutemen office here in Goodneighbor. I've been sitting on the defeat of the Mechanist and the Fenway Phantom instead of using it to raise morale and confidence in the Minutemen."
Connolly spoke up. "So even though I'm broadcasting the negotiations, which should be the highest rated broadcast in the Commonwealth, I'm going to interrupt it with hyping you up buddy. The Silver Shroud will have notified me that the Fenway Phantom has been destroyed and his lair of artistic death is no more."
"Anyone who's brave enough to travel downtown and doesn't believe in the Silver Shroud will be another barely heard (but just barely) witness. Or at least they will once they bring back the holotapes that maniac left in Fenway Sewers.", the General complemented.
"So you better learn what you need to quick. You'll have to actually silence a raider gang or three before we can credit the Silver Shroud with the defeat of the Mechanist. The Commonwealth will need you established enough to put faith in, even though they will never know who or what you are, before they actually need you to be put faith in."
