"Why wasn't I informed of this, people?", the Director accused the department heads. In the conference room of the Institute, the CLEAN BLACK SUIT stood tall in front of the seated doctors of various sciences.
They glanced to each other. "Informed of what, Director?", Dr. Holdren asked.
The Director tossed a SYNTH COMPONENT onto the table. "Apparently, there was a little man calling himself Littlehorn in the Capital Wastes. He was paying people to kill anyone he judged good for society. And he was a synth. Why wasn't I told about this?"
Dr. Li turned to Dr. Ayo. "I knew your predecessor's scheme was going to bite us in the ass one day."
Dr. Ayo had his nose nearly touching his padd.
"Dr. Ayo.", the Director continued. "This is more your place than anyone's.
"Dr. Binet? When did you intend on informing me that this was programmed and fielded?"
"Hold on.", Dr. Ayo called for.
The Director glared at him. "Excuse me?"
The man nodded. "We did inform you." He slid the padd he was looking at across the table. "After the supermutants laid siege to Diamond City. You called for a full listing off all our assets on the surface. We provided you that listing. I provided you that listing."
"What?", the Director wondered. She snapped up the padd and read through it. Then she rethumbed it. "No...that's Littlehorn.
"How did I miss...?"
"Because you're taking on too much." Dr. Cabot informed. Everyone turned to him. "You may argue that you must take on all of this and that it must be you that takes it on. But consider -
"You are coordinating a semi-secret, literally underground, scientific commune when you don't have significant scientific expertise...at least compared to us, as opposed to your average wastelander. You are also attempting to switch this community from a hermetic parasite (and I apologize to whomever wants it, but that is what the Institute was) to facilitating humanity's defense against an alien threat.
"You are attempting to have a country coalesce out of a series of city states, each with its own culture that is sometimes due to biological or in Acadia's case non-biology, that aren't even the size of proper neighborhoods. Due to my age, I can actually understand your sensibilities Gen...Director. You're attempting to nation build in a world where block organizer is a full time career.
"In addition to that, you are attempting to be a commander-in-chief of a disparate military force you've rebuilt nearly by hand during an active war. You're attempting to not facilitate intel but analyze and then make decisions on it. You're attempting to reassess reemergent technologies and their application to various front lines in real time.
"You're also attempting to micromanage an economy, no matter your protests. You want a free market economy as shown by your lack of policies. Except here because you see that the Institute's system works and you never disrupt something that works until you ask it to provide resources to repair something that doesn't or give to a cause of improvement. But you politically curtail Bunker Hill and keep it from voicing its doubts on political issues that directly affect Bunker Hill's trading, for example. By not having a free market, you're taking on the role of economics theoritician in a practical, ethically dubious experiment.
"And you don't have any economic training besides whatever law school provided. You're seeing yourself seeking a balance between being a the politician you trained for as a lawyer and the General you trained for when you served in the Great War. You're actually trying to be federal oversight for numerous settlements, second and third branches of government to the communities of the Commonwealth, scientist supreme of a community that is frankly beyond your real comprehension, battle manager of so many skirmishes, and then to top it all off the master schemer that's trying to make this all work."
"I am not a schemer.", the Director warned.
"Orchestrator then.", Jack allowed. "The long story short of it is that you're also only human. When was the last time you've rested in bed for more than eight hours of sleep? The last time you celebrated a romantic entanglement for days on end? Read something that wasn't needed for one of the myriad roles you are performing? And in this run down state you're attempting to do dozens, maybe a hundred jobs at once.
"I am amazed that this is your biggest slip up to date. Not to mention the things you've accomplished despite being run as ragged as you have been."
The Director sat down. "Dr. Holdren?"
"I'd rather have Dr. Volkert determine those determinations.", he responded. "But in all honesty, your biological and hence evolved mind can only be pressed so far. We've all had the privilege of required rest and community here in the Institute. You are, more often than not, on the surface. Between operating above what should be your capabilities and the psychological strain of doing so...I agree with Dr. Cabot's hypothesis.
"You missed a detail in a grand design several minds wide while falling asleep looking at it, Director."
The Director rubbed her temples. "So what am I supposed to do. I have/"
"Vacation.", the entire table told her.
Dr. Fillmore spoke. "It happens to all of us. And our records indicate that it was the way of our ancestors as well. When you're enmeshed with a project and confident that you'll lose track if you pause for just a moment...we've all been there. But you do need your rest. Otherwise, slip ups are going to be the least of your worries."
Dr Li continued. "Waking up in a hospital bed, coming out from under sedatives and IVs to rehydrate and treat malnutrition could be another outcome. And that certainly won't help anyone's goals. Except maybe the Brotherhood of Steel's."
"Director, if I may.", Dr. Ayo told her. "Map out your intentions for the next few days. Write them down. Then assign them to a subordinate. Every single one of them. Make it clear that you want a fully detailed report in a week. Then take that week. Tell yourself that your stress testing the organization that you came up with, to make sure it is capable of meeting the demands placed upon it."
"Little Miss Badass isn't taking a week.", the Director complained.
"I'm sorry?", Dr. Cabot inquired.
"Nevermind.", she replied. "If I was stupider, I'd argue the point. But you're right. I've been going full blast since a nuclear bomb cooked my neighborhood. I probably haven't properly grieved for my husband yet. Or Sean.
"Alright, look alive people. I'm going to take tomorrow to delegate tasks to my command in the Minutemen. Preston's going to be adjudicator for the Commonwealth government. I'll have MacCready take Three-Dog off the air. I'm going to set Bridget loose on the Brotherhood of Steel at Project Purity.
"So Dr. Li, I want a report of how you plan to take advantage of Project Purity's recovery: for us and the Commonwealth as whole, which includes the communities of the Capital Wastes. Dr. Ayo, I want your projections for the Institute's resources that are being used in the war effort. Everyone else, get familiar with Dr. Cabot's work and what we can do to help.
"And I will take a few days. Or at least try."
