"If you're going to hold us and then sit with us, you might as well say something." High Confessor Tektus stated.

He was seated across a spool serving as a table from the General...in Acadia. The General had stated that the closest to a neutral moderator she could present was DiMa - and then had him marched to Acadia for what she had claimed were "negotiations". The Nucleus was under the complete operational control of the newly minted Marine Corps, although gathering Minutemen were waiting to transition in. DiMa had simply sighed and lent his presence to the proceedings while an Institute member in a clean room suit monitored him with what had been assured to be only passive scanning equipment. The synths of Acadia were quite adamant about providing security instead of accepting the "kind offer" of support from their new "Institute friends".

"Well, as you know, your Zealots are being treated medically.", the General began. "Your brothers and sisters are being respected as civilians.

"And honestly, that's about it for now. But just for now. You see, I do need you for negotiating a settlement to the Commonwealth invading the Nucleus."

She frowned. "I'm not going to try to jazz up the language to make what just happened something it's not. I'm in the middle of figuring out who launched a nuclear attack on Commonwealth soil. The suspects are getting fewer in number as others are eliminated by inspection. So the Nucleus came up with the short straw: taking in the Gunners ex-pats as our marine corps meant I had the military might to see whatever I wanted and take whatever I wanted while the USS, soon to be CMS, Discovery made you the most credible suspect. And threat. Which meant occupying the submarine base you're using as your settlement and taking the submarine.

"I am not dumb enough to think that this is something we can brush aside. We'll never be able to go back to the detente that possessed the island for the previous time of your administration, High Confessor. So we can either go through our limited options now and select the ones either one of us can force...or I wait until my information comes in. That will allow me to lay all my cards on the table and we'll have the most possible options to choose from."

"A heretic's only option is being separated from the all consuming glow of Atom.", Tektus replied.

The General pointed at him. "You see...that's going to be a problem.

"First, I'm not going to get in a religious argument with you."

"As you shouldn't, as I alone am the word of Atom."

"Except I've quested with the Mother of Fog herself, myself. So a religious argument will just lead us in circles yelling that we both believe we're more right than the other.

"Secondly, as General of the Minutemen, I have a duty to protect the Commonwealth. That means its people. And their rights. So I'm trying my very best to not interfere with any religious viewpoints, whether they're traditional and based on the religions that I grew up with or Hubologists or the Children of the Atom or whatever the spin-off of yours is going to be called."

The man sitting across from her furrowed his brow. "Spin-off?"

The General nodded. "Oh yeah: I let Sister Aubert go after finding her. Now if I understand it right, the Children of Atom believe that the atoms that make up everything contain any number of possible worlds due to the difficulty of understanding their quantum states and await a Great Division to turn those atoms into the worlds they contain. Sister Aubert saw the empty space between atoms as a vast nothingness which led her into nihilism."

The Institute member spoke up. "That's ridiculous. First, quantum mechanical calculations are/"

"You're not their religion.", the General interrupted, holding a hand up. "You don't have their faith in their beliefs.

"Anyway. What this means for you and whomever chooses to be your follower is that I am forced to allow you your beliefs. It also means that I am forced to ensure that those beliefs do not become behaviors that trample the rights of others. So I am not opposed, in theory, to you choosing to stockpile radioactive material in the Nucleus and keep to yourselves. But after I've attacked you I have to believe that if I let you go and leave the Nucleus alone that you will see the Commonwealth at large as a threat. After all, we've proven it by invading you. Which means you have to eliminate us. Which then means you are a threat to us and I currently have the power to destroy you and a duty to destroy threats to the Commonwealth.

"You see my problem? I want to not start a war that no matter what I say will have religious lines thrown into it. On the other hand, I have to make sure you're not a threat to the Commonwealth. And that piece of information may be walking through the door now."

A Minuteman in the navy's USHANKA HAT approached the General. She handed over a note which the General read immediately.

Some of the tension she didn't know she was showing was released. "Congratulations High Confessor Tektus. Your ICBM is still in the tube and there isn't any evidence that you fired a nuclear missile on the Commonwealth. I get to talk to you about other options than just wiping you out."

"So please, present me with an alternative." The General crossed her legs and waited patiently for the man to propose an option.

Tektus did not. Either he realized that the only thing he could force was martyrdom or he was completely flummoxed. It may never be know.

"Then allow me to.", the General offered. "There was a time when Vault 114 was about to prove...troublesome. Instead they came to me with the intention to join fully in the Commonwealth as a participating community. Instead of a war with the dreaded 'Triggermen', the vault is home to some of the richest people in the Commonwealth. So one option I can offer is that, full participation: a seat on our council for a representative of the Nucleus' choice which guides Commonwealth policy, defense by the Minutemen, all the rights that go to Commonwealth citizens for your residents and local autonomy - even your Zealots will be released to form into local security. Granted their may be a heavy Minutemen presence to ensure that the new situation is secure. But the marine corps is not authorized to operate within Commonwealth communities and has no jurisdiction over Commonwealth citizens.

"Another option is to try to leave you be. I can't, really. I'll have to disarm your Zealots so that there are no more. But you'll be free to stockpile all the radioactive muck you want...provided it can be brought to you. I won't be able to let any of your people traips around Commonwealth territory. I expect I'll be able to pull out my troops if I can prove to the Council that we can maintain a cordon around the Nucleus and annihilate it whenever we like. But you may be able to remain autonomous as I long as no one else suspects you of anything else. Or believes you have a resource that the Commonwealth requires."

The General's WRAPPAROUND GOGGLES did not have to let her eyes do the talking.

Tektus nodded. "And if the Children of Atom accepted...becoming a community..."

"The Children of Atom are all over, I find.", the General stated. "The Nucleus would become a community. Anyone wishing to reside there would be up to the Nucleus to accept or not. Other Children of Atom...arrangements...would still be theirs to discuss, should one require attention."

"So Nucleus citizens then?", the High Confessor corrected.

"Sure."

"If the Nucleus was one of the Commonwealth communities, we would have no interference with proselytizing?"

"With words. Make no mistake - I abhor the idea of people being irradiated. But if I have to allow the voluntary behaviors you perform on yourselves and your radiation weapons to defend yourselves with, then I have to. Particularly while taking the stand I am on nuclear explosions. If another community wants to let you in and hear what you have to say, then fine. I'll even back your scrounging the land for barrels of radioactive waste if you want to bring all those back with you to the Nucleus. As I said before, freedom of religion is fine. Freedom of religion does not include you inflicting it on others. No destroying fog condensors or the like."

The man continued. "And when Atom returns in the Great Division? Will your government claim jurisdiction over which there is none and cannot be?"

The General sat back and shrugged. "I don't know what to say to that. Time will tell?

"Look, we both know that we're on thin ice here. It's easy to tell myself now that had it been you that launched on Gunner Plaza that I wouldn't have order my marines to kill you all. But I get to. I'd much rather be the General that's inclusive, that can offer instead of take. It's going to be years after what I've done for you to understand an equal footing in the Commonwealth should you become a community. But I will work towards that if you will."

Tektus stood. The General waved off the synths who came to reseat him. "Can I pray to Atom for guidance?"

The woman nodded. "Sure. And talk to your parishoners...constituents...people as well. Maybe they'd know whether they want to be a part of the Commonwealth or not. You'll remain occupied until I have an answer. I'll try to switch the killers you have looking over you with regular Minutemen, but no promises."