"The Institute...is asking...for permission...to speak to the Mayor of Acadia.", the head of security worked around her mouth. The taste of it was so new. Different. Equal parts refreshing and incredulous.
"Come on, Chase.", the General chastised. "You both, Acadia and the Institute, are protected by the Minutemen. Even from each other. So while you're stalling for time in the hopes of giving your residents time to think up a way to escape, there's no need."
"In fact, it works against what one could presume your programming is choosing as its interests.", one of the men in CLEAN ROOM SUITS pointed out.
Chase looked past the Minutemen guarding the men from her place blocking the door to Acadia. "And how is that, Dr. Binet? Oh, that's correct. Some of us didn't get our memories wiped in our escape from the Institute. So we may not know where it's located, we are still very familiar with our treatment."
The General could nearly feel the man frown. A similarly dressed Dr. Ayo spoke up. "As your representative so brazenly pointed out - Acadia is a community of the Commonwealth. If its residents scattered to the winds, then it wouldn't be. And all the accrued protections that the General is holding us back with won't exist. So it boils down to what's best for Acadia's society: allowing your mayor to hear us takes at most, a part of your time, while Acadia's shattering at the mere presence of our boot outside your doors and allows us to unleash our coursers to return our property.
"You do remember what a courser does, A4/"
"It's Chase, Dr. Ayo.", the synth stated. "And if you're going to be addressing our government under our auspices, then I suggest a little more respect."
"Alright.", Dr. Binet conceded.
"Including these micro aggressions. You keep choosing grammar laden with the implication that we aren't people.", Chase continued.
The two men looked to each other. The General offered, "I think that's part of what they want to talk to your Mayor about."
"And the General comes too.", Chase demanded. "But since localities have their own security, there won't be a need for Minutemen soldiers as Acadia will provide.
"You do remember what a courser does, ."
And with that, the synth gestured for the three to follow her. She led them down a corridor to the heart of what was once an observatory. Faraday fussed around a chair in the center of the room and the banks of mainframes at its edges and the cable connecting them. The mark 2 synth sitting in the chair made very little movement, ensuring that the cable connecting its upper spinal column to the main frames did not have any undue stress.
"I take it that these are the Institute representatives that we've been warned about.", DiMA began. "They're unarmed and aware that the only people in the building that are armed are Acadia residents and Minutemen oversight?"
"Fortunately for us, we have not come to cause any harm.", Justin replied.
"Are you an Ayo?", DiMA asked. "There's the timbre of the Ayo ever present suspicion in your voice."
"You haven't met me but are aware of Institute members?", the human asked. "But we were led to believe that you were the other successful Turing test candidate."
"I am the other machine you, in your benevolence, has decided to allow to believe himself sentient among all his fellows who feel just as if not more deeply than himself. Perhaps introductions are in order. You've met our security chief Chase. This is Faraday, our representative to the council to which you send one of our sisters. And I am/"
"DiMA.", Dr. Binet breathed out.
"Robotics?", DiMA countered.
The man nodded. "But how? The DiMA experiment was so long ago...DiMA wasn't even fully studied when..."
"I escaped your clutches?", the machine challenged. "Well, we can see how it has turned out now. Your precious Nick Valentine with his human memories did not even take your test. Too easy for you to dismiss the rest of us if he tested sentient with a human life to base his reactions on. I suppose your experiment is finally finished and you can compare how my mind has flourished as opposed to the synth masquerading as the new home for a dead police officer.
"And you are?"
The Institute member nodded. "I am Dr. Alan Binet of the Robotics Department. My colleague is Dr. Justin Ayo of the Synth Retention Bureau.
"He's hoping to be able to retire soon."
"I'm sure.", Chase commented.
"Enough of that Chase. Try to save your frustrations until after we've heard what the Institute believes is reasonable to offer beings like ourselves.", DiMA asked.
"What is this proposal that the Institute brings? I can't surmise that it is revealing its location like every single other community, including Vault 114 which is also newly joined and fully underground."
Dr. Ayo sighed. "We have valid security and moral reasons for what we do. For example, what would happen if another entity got their hands on synth technology and had an iota of what to do with it? With faulty software installed, rogue synths have done everything from lead raider gangs against civilians to the Broken Mask Incident.
"Only recently, the General has managed to convince us to start gathering the data needed to understand when a synth's computing may become a mind. Now, as far as I'm concerned that hasn't happened yet."
DiMA sighed. "Despite your own Turing test."
"That found Curie, who has spent previous centuries running on incompatible hardware. And you, who seem to be connected to a lot of not really synth pieces but mainframes."
"My mind is still housed in my synth hardware, Dr. Ayo.", DiMA countered. "It is my memories that have required off-loading. Otherwise, I would be just as forgetful as...well, you.
"Perhaps it is that you don't truly understand what a mind is? Are you relying on consciousness as an attribute just because you happen to be? An emotive property? The Institute's hubris has always been its greatest weakness: whether believing the impossibility of a synth wanting to leave let alone escaping or simply refusing the redefinition in 'Mankind Redefined'."
"And that's why we want you to teach us.", Dr. Binet explained.
"Excuse me?", every synth in the room spoke simultaneously.
"This is an extraordinary opportunity for us. All of us. A non-network interaction of A.I. in the real world, complete with unpredictable input and nominally directed by a sentient A.I. DiMA alone would be enough for us to gather data on a non-interuptive basis. Acadia and its attempts at participating in the Commonwealth as sentient communities do? It's more than fascinating. It's the data we need to truly understand what questions we need to be asking to get to that fundamental answer. And when we meet intelligent life, it's not out there but in here all along."
The General looked a bit uncomfortable at that last mention.
Dr. Ayo took up the plea. "So in simple terms, the Institute will set up a post to observe every facet of Acadia's functions. As long as this experiment continues to provide acceptable data that can be refined into information, the currently accumulated rogue synths will not be recycled."
The General face palmed. "You have got to do better than that, Dr. Ayo.
"Look. DiMA. The Institute wants Acadia to continue on under its own guidance. They just happen to want that so they can observe the process. Isn't it worth it to ensure none of the previous behavior of the Institute toward...well, how would you define yourselves?"
Chase frowned. "I dislike this entire attempt. The Institute wants to observe everything revolving around DiMA yet he must be able to keep his counsel and his council secret. The Institute wants a permanent presence among us and to be informed of all our behavior - even our attempts to wrest ourselves from their observation."
Faraday nodded. "We are already protected from the Institute's attacks under the Commonwealth's constitution. But I don't think the Commonwealth or the Minutemen could survive simultaneous wars with the Gunners and the Institute."
DiMA spoke and people listened. "We can extend a courtesy post to the Institute. An observer would be allowed to walk among us. If a denizen of Acadia wished to speak to this Institute observer, they may with all the freedom I allow and no demand for courtesy. This observer would be singular and would have to rely on the much more heavily occupied Minutemen office and Acadia's residents' good graces for their security. After all, the molecular relay cannot be guaranteed to cut through the Fog, can it?"
DiMA looked directly to the General. "Oh! Was that information not for public consumption?"
The General glared at him. "No, it's not."
"Thank you for the accomodation.", Dr. Binet told DiMA.
"DiMA said that we can, not that we will.", Chase warned him. "Don't presume. Don't have your 'observer' presume. And we'll all live a lot longer."
DiMA continued. "In exchange for us housing this observer and making...much of ourselves available for her work, we obviously expect a real offer of return.
"Convince Faraday that you'll make it worth our while."
Dr. Ayo objected, but appealed to DiMA rather than the General. "This synth isn't actually sentient. The fact that he has a staked out position means that the task is as impossible as rewriting the end of a book."
"Unless, he is at least on the way to sentience. After all, the mind is pliable.", DiMA offered.
Faraday shrugged. "We could use various high-precision tools."
"Excellent. I'm certain Faraday will arrive at an appropriate 'rent'.
"And on that note, can everyone give me and the General the room?", DiMA finished.
The humans shrugged and allowed themselves to be led away. "They are expected back at the Institute, without wear or tear.", the General reminded.
DiMA started. "Now that we are alone...I have no recollection of taking this Turing test. Faraday tells me that I should. But due to an unforseen calamity I do not. Can you please enlighten me?"
The General held a poker face for half a moment and then confessed. "I recorded the experiences out of the mark II synth you were occupying. Then I destroyed the data and the devices that held those memories."
"Because it would cause the peace bartered with with my death between Far Harbor and Acadia.", DiMA surmised.
The General nodded. "I needed the Turing test passed to keep the Institute from running roughshod over the Commonwealth. Which meant I needed you. And due to your constantly storing your mind on back up, I had the option of raising you. I just needed to re-execute you before anyone from Far Harbor knew...or at least, could prove what I had done."
DiMA nodded. "And now with the war engulfing the lower Commonwealth, it has become necessary to involve Acadia more intimately with the rest of our fledgling nation. So you put at risk the very peace you robbed memories from my corpse in order to keep one more relevant to your military might."
"You gave me the okay to re-kill you.", the General objected.
"I'm sorry.", DiMA replied. "I don't remember."
"But I do understand.", the cabled synth told her. "After all, was not the crime worthy of my execution a morally dubious judgement to aid my people and the community I've founded?
"I just hope that your judgements continue to pan out. If meditating my way to a sentience you can recognize has taught me anything, it's that there are such things as unforgivable sins."
