1

"Colonel Shaw.", the General called out.

The delegates had all left her office, except for one. They were congregating in the Castle's mess hall, trying to build connections with their island counterparts. Only her Colonels, the unidentified Railroad member, and G9-81 remained.

"I am placing into inventory, with no authorization to use under any circumstance, these three transmitters.", the General told her. "Secure them with the MINI-NUKES. And triple the guard. You are authorized to do so even if it means pulling a crew off the roads but not the front lines.

"I am sure the Admiral hopes I am not making a mistake with entrusting you with these."

Ronnie nodded. "Nobody'll lay a finger on 'em, General."

"What routed MacCready's unit?", Preston asked.

"I don't know that anything did. However, the Gunners are fielding assaultrons in addition to the tanks, mercenaries and power armor frames they're also known for."

The General looked to the synth on her left. She carefully stepped into Preston's personal space. Hugging him she softly said, "I'll be back before you know it."

The woman stepped back. "Can everyone give us the room, please."

"Under protest.", the Railroad member stated.

The General nodded. "I expect that's true for all of you. But I need the room anyway."

"One last thing, General.", Colonel Brandis raised. "I have a potential project/"

"Whatever it is Colonel, if it falls in your purview then go ahead. Now please."

They all left, leaving the General and the Institute representative alone in her office. Once the doors closed, a loud crack of lightning sounded along with a bright flash through the edges of the doors.

Colonel Garvey pulled a scroll, neatly tied with a ribbon out of his trouser pocket. He unfurled it and read it silently in front of the group.

"So what she tell you?", Ronnie pressed.

"I'd rather not say.", he replied.

"And why's that?", Desdemona inquired.

"Because it names me the next General, with orders to seek a peaceful resolution with the Institute should she not come back."

2

G9-81 and the Director appeared in the Molecular Relay room of the Institute. The General turned to the synth that was freeing her hair from the confines of her suit's hood. "Well let's find someone."

The first...thing they found was a mark I synth cleaning the floor on the way to the main elevator. "Attention: overriding your work detail schedule for emergency duty.", G9-81 stated.

The mechanical endo-skeleton looked up to receive orders and then noticed the human Institute member standing next to her. "Is this true, ma'am?", it asked.

G9-81 huffed. The Director spared her a glance and then returned her attention to the mark I. "Yes. We...I need you to gather the Directorate for an emergency meeting. Enlist others if you need to. But have every department head meet us in the conference room.

"Is that adequate?", the Director asked the mark III synth representing the Institute to the council.

"hmm...", she mused. "My programming tells me that I would be more comfortable if we were to go Synth Retention. After all, that's the department that this situation within which the purview falls."

"Fine.", the Director agreed. "Synth Retention it is.

"Hurry along then."

The mark I regarded her. "Are you sure that this is what you want, ma'am?"

The Director wondered at it questioning her. "er, Yes?"

"Very well, ma'am."

The mark I hurried off and took the elevator by itself, leaving the two stranded on the floor.

"If it's any consolation, I understand how this situation sounds without examination.", the Director stated. "But I assure you, I'll explain why I did this. I actually have been acting in the Institute's best interest as its Director."

"I can't understand that.", G9-81 replied. "You knew of a still undisclosed amount of renegade synths in a retrievable location and did not disclose that fact. Institute policy is to re-seize all wayward malfunctioning units. Even with the Turing tests you demanded, this policy did not change: only the definition of wayward and malfunctioning did. There is no reason that/"

"G9-81, deactivation code gamma delta 7 2 3.", one of the coursers from the returning elevator called out.

The synth stopped in the middle of her sentence. The General turned her attention to the three coursers with lasers drawn and leveled at the synth. "Are you harmed, Director?"

"What?", the woman started. "No. And turn her back on."

"I'm sorry, Director. Coursers aren't granted reactivation codes for targets, as our job is only to bring them in. I deactivated it because a mark I synth stated that you were appearing to take direction from it. We thought you were in a stealth hostage situation and under duress from it going rogue."

"She...it was attempting to turn me in for acting against Institute wishes.", the Director attempted.

"And were you?", a different one of the coursers asked not exactly too dangerously.

"Of course not!", she snapped.

Then she muttered. "Oh, no wonder there were so few that tested sentient."

"Look, I was just explaining to her that I wasn't. But never mind that. I'm Director of the Institute and you are supposed to obey me. Are you going to?"

"Yes.", the identical synths stated in unison.

"Good. You: since I am obviously in no danger, I am acting on my own will. Gather the department heads for an emergency meeting in Synth Retention. Just like G9 wanted.

"You two: carry her with me back to Synth Retention. Hopefully, for your sakes, Dr. Ayo can reboot her without a loss of memory."

"Of course, ma'am.", the trio of identical copies stated identically.

One took the elevator back down to the heart of the Institute. Another turned its back to the deactivated synth, knelt and clutched wrists. Rising, the synth was carried efficiently on its back as if that was what the synth deactivation position was designed for.

The General walked briskly to the elevator with the remaining synths behind her. Then she had a thought. "If this opens and there are even more synths in here attempting to rescue me, I'm going to be really mad."