She walked into the conference room. It was the home of the Institute Directorate: the most feared if not to-be-feared, the most secretive or at least to outsiders faction of anything in the whole of the Commonwealth. When you could find a survivor of the nuclear apocalypse, asking them of the dangers that surrounded them would give an answer that constantly surprised her all too twenty first century mind. The lack of clean water, or non-irradiated plants and dangerously mutated creatures as a food supply didn't seem to faze them until they were in truly dire straits. Insane, ageless once human ghouls attacking relentlessly and reminding them that even their own narrowly held humanity was a toll that could be paid were viewed as a nuisance. Rogue, super-weaponized, green golems of tribal society and neanderthal intellect were viewed as a mere 'problem'. And most upsetting to her, humankind's brutality to humankind was taken in stride. But a single whisper of the Institute and neighbor would fall upon neighbor, brother would murder brother, and communities would be ripped apart rendering the wasteland truly that...a land filled with waste.
This was unacceptable.
Her own son empowered her with the reins of this organization. And with the hope behind the motto "Mankind Redefined.". She would make good on that, and do her level best to bring this world back in line with the one she didn't leave...only aged beyond.
A colonial figure glided across the room. The impression was nearly of George Washington coming to the Continental Congress to correct begrudging politicians and fire brand idealists to a course of action. And that image was quickly broken with a series of cracks. Her not quite slender frame wasn't the tall commanding presence one would expect. Her perpetual WRAPAROUND GOGGLES laid more suspicion than commanded respect. The polymer combat armor the blue long coat of the MINUTEMAN GENERAL'S UNIFORM brought the whole look screaming into the future. And when she sat in the Director's chair and laid her MINUTEMAN GENERAL'S HAT by her side, her DEEP RED hair certainly didn't allow her to pass for the ancient founder of the country that was. That she was perhaps the last citizen of...even if she didn't remember voting for or against this 'President Eden' she had heard of.
"Do you believe that...fashion...appropriate to this meeting of the Institute's directorate?", Dr. Ayo charged.
She switched to her BLACK RIMMED GLASSES and considered her response. Sitting at the rest of the conference table was the entirety of the Institute's head of departments. Together they advised the Director in the best way to achieve Institute policies preferred outcomes. Dr. Ayo, decked in his black decorated uniform probably considered himself the most dangerous as head of the Synth Retention Bureau, charged with the recapture of designed to be better than human in all but rights and soul machines. But considering his competition was the man charged with designing those Synths, Dr. Holdren of Robotics; the Bioscience leader Dr. Holdren; Madison Li, a veteran of Project Purity and the Brotherhood of Steel who kept the leash of the widely inventive Advanced Systems; and the person who's duties kept the entire Institute running as efficiently as the DNA architected central column symbolized, Allie Filmore...Dr. Ayo wasn't the most dangerous person in the room.
And the new Director was hoping she would not be forced to prove that she was. For the sake of the Commonwealth.
"Actually Dr. Ayo, I'm making a statement by wearing this.", she started.
"There are some of you who still harbor some resentment on my being Director. Some of this is based on my being new to your ranks, and there's nothing I can do about that. Some of it is not being a scientist. Allow me to address that.
"I am a classically trained lawyer, with some years of experience. While it is true that I hadn't dedicated the entirety of my life to the pursuit, I had entered college with that intent after the tour of duty where I met Shaun's father. I may be the only pre-war, post college, licensed attorney any of will ever meet in our lives. Considering my military experience and the results that has given and my formal education being the equivalent in my field of government as you are in yours/"
Dr. Li interrupted, "Then you are absolutely the right choice to lead the Institute."
She turned to Madison. "If that being the case, I expect that my following proposal will be enacted with enthusiasm.
"The Institute is hereby surrendering to the Minutemen."
A roaring clamor came over the table.
Until her singular voice came through, "Listening to this proposal...
"The Institute holds itself to be humanity's best hope for the future. So far that has resulted in assassinations up to an including destroying the last best attempt at a unified government, unleashing a mercenary on the unsuspecting, and countless other Institute assets being put at risk or simply sacrificed. This incompetency ends now.
"Particularly when there is another organization that is better integrated into the fabric of the Commonwealth."
Dr. Holdren raised his hand. "Director, couldn't we garner the same result with the Minutemen surrendering to us instead?"
"No.", was the resounding and quick reply. "The Minutemen has some things that the Institute will need to work for decades if not a century to garner: trust and respect. The Commonwealth at large knows that the Minutemen are here to help, no matter what. That's why ordinary people turn to them.
"For us to be able to aid the Commonwealth and shape its future openly, we will have to do so under a veneer that is able to do so. When the Minutemen offer aid, it is paid forward. If an agent of the Institute were to approach anyone at this point, it would turn into a case of shoot first and level resistance with a cadre of Gen 2 Synths in response. That is a bridge that leads to no where."
"Furthermore, I do not want to disrupt the Institute's practices or compromise its security. By having the Commonwealth under the auspices of the Minutemen, I can use its manpower and resources to do what the Institute cannot. Act en masse. By maintaining the Institute's current functionality, I can have all of our members do what you do best. Be scientists and engineers, and do the bold work of science that can't be done by anyone else.
"In addition, the Institute has a unique reputation as the boogeyman of the Commonwealth. With the Minutemen being viewed as having brought the Institute to heel, it will be seen as empowered while the reverse would make that reputation even more diabolical. With the Institute, ahem, 'serving' the Minutemen, the structure overseeing the Commonwealth becomes one that has a dangerous leviathan backing its proclamations."
"What results to you expect from this move, and how will it benefit the Institute?", Dr. Filmore inquired.
"Absolute, best case scenario: on the order of a generation, the Commonwealth population will be a healthier, better educated and more secure one than ever before. Talent will stop being lost to easily surmounted obstacles. Technology and the human culture it drives will continue to advance. And maybe, just maybe, the Institute will actually achieve its stated dream of a bright future for all mankind.", the Director sold.
Until she followed that with "Absolute, worst case scenario. My machinations crash and burn, turning the Commonwealth into a never ending, intractable civil strife haunted by radiation powered monsters at all angles from which the withdrawn Institute returns to operating as a clandestine cabal of mad scientists spoken of in hushed whispers away from the shadows.
"Or basically, how it is now."
Hodren again interjected. "Do you expect all future Generals of the Minutemen and Directors of the Institute to be the same person?"
Here she paused, whether for drama or thought the scientists couldn't tell. "I would like to think not. Nearly certainly the very next General, and perhaps we should spend resources training Wallace as an understudy in case of my assassination as he's the only member here besides myself that has any real experience dealing with the Minutemen in a manner befitting them. Maybe educating one of the twins toward that end. But with a careful regard for the autonomy of the Institute and the value of its segregation versus the amount of effort to break that...hopefully not more.
"Any other questions of immediate concern with the premise rather than details that have yet to be sorted?"
"Yes.", Dr. Ayo asserted. "Let's say this goes well enough for the Minutemen to actually secure the Commonwealth in a manner you envision. What happens to the Synth Retention Bureau?"
She leveled her gaze to him. "Eventually...it's disbanded."
The bald man nodded. "Well, then. Let's put it to a vote. Will someone second? I'm actually in a hurry to vote yes."
The rest of the table regarded him anew. He shrugged. "If Alan did his job perfectly rather than 'merely' inspringly, this department would not exist to be stuck in in the first place and I could go back to actual research. Of course, I'm pro-letting the Minutemen hold responsibility."
Dr. Filmore gave an expression of incredulity. "I second."
The Director nodded. "Is everyone on board? And I do mean everyone. I am going to be issuing demands upon all of you that at times may be hard to swallow. Receding tactical advantages, investments on behalf of non-Institute entitities, and the like."
"Yay, aye or whatever we're using for the affirmative under the new leadership.", Dr. Ayo stated.
"Yes.", Alan Binet voted. "We're already secure on the reactor and we needed that in order to do exactly something like this."
Madison nodded. "It'll be interesting to solve a social problem for once. Advanced Systems votes in the affirmative."
"Then I'll have to make sure you don't all kill yourselves.", Dr. Filmore added. "You have a yes vote from Facilities, Director."
"Fine.", Holdren conceded. "Let's get this show on the road. It's not like she's going to lead us in an old way we're familiar with."
The table turned to him. "What?"
The General put her WRAPAROUND GOGGLES and MINUTEMEN GENERAL'S HAT back on. "Then continue on with your current projects. Except for Wallace and Advanced Systems, considering one of your scientist's hobbies. Oh - and I need Bio-science to analyze something for me."