Diamond City
February the 3rd, 2288
19:28

Something about stepping through the gates of Diamond City for the first time in well over two months felt surreal, just as it had the first time.

While the feeling subsided when they reached the top of the stairs into the city, it was replaced all too quickly with the same painful shock of remembering the place she had once known as Fenway Park would never be the same. Somehow, the greatest reminder of how much things have changed is a place where so many people have been able to rebuild. It's a good thing, and it's been here for well over a century, still standing. And…it's where I have to start. God, Shaun, Nate…wherever you are, I need you to be safe…I need you to know I'm coming for you. Shaking herself out, Nora glanced every so often at Derek, who was walking beside her and waved warmly to some of the city's residents who waved at or greeted him when they reached the bottom of the second set of stairs. Stepping into one of the city's many large markets, Nora found she couldn't help but smile when the young girl waving and selling papers outside her sister's office paused to smile at her. Following after Derek towards where he, his wife, and their children lived in the upper stands, Nora tightened her jacket around herself, the wind more than a bit uncomfortably sharp and frigid. Still, when they reached the home and Derek unlocked the door, holding it for her as she entered, knowing the journey was over, for now, was a relief. She smiled when she saw Hadley, but her face fell when she saw the way Derek tightly embraced and then kissed her once he shut and locked the door, a feeling of loneliness clawing at her again.

"I hope you don't mind Piper's here too," Hadley said when she came over to Nora and guided her over to one of the couches, handing her a blanket when she sat down. "Her and Lissy's friend Cait is also here. A bit of a celebration, if I'm being honest."

"A celebration?" Nora eyed her strangely. "For what?"

"For mom getting Piper's ass out of jail," The unfamiliar voice of a teenager with messy dark hair and a lab coat on said, stepping out from the kitchen. "McDonough locked her up for about a month because he knew mom and dad would be out of town. When mom got back last week, he let her go, but only after what I'm sure was a very loud argument with mom. She's a really scary bitch sometimes."

"Emmett, don't talk about your mother like that," Derek chided, taking off and hanging up his coat. "She did the right thing. McDonough has been escalating things with Piper recently, and –"

"Escalating is putting it mildly. He let security push Nat around too."

Nora laughed a little when the young writer slid down the banister of the stairs, followed Lissy and, then, by a woman in a corset and ripped pants with shoulder length, messy dark hair, whom she assumed to be Cait.

"McDonough probably would have sent Nat off with you if he'd been given the chance," Emmett reminded her. "You're lucky Vadim was there to help protect your little sister. Nat's sweet but I wouldn't put it past her to try and bite security or McDonough himself to try and keep you from getting arrested."

Piper scowled at him. "Nat isn't a feral ghoul, Emmett. She doesn't bite people, God."

"You two may be proper enough not to do that shite, but I will," The dark haired woman turned to Nora. "I don't think we've ever met, but the name's Cait. Been a friend of Piper's for years, and like to think I'm a good influence on her."

Emmett snorted. "Yes, because you of all people are a good influence."

"Enough, Emmett," Hadley said, sending her son a pointed look. "If you're going to be sarcastic, you could at least do so after introducing yourself to our guest."

The teenager brushed his hair out of his eyes and uncomfortably waved at Nora.

"Hey. Emmett Branson. Eighteen, 5'10'', blood type O positive," He turned back to his mother. "That satisfy you?"

Hadley sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but, sure, I suppose so," She went to pour a glass of wine before walking over to and handing it to Nora. "I'm sure you and the Minutemen have been doing a lot. You've more than earnt that."

"Thanks," Nora glanced between her, Piper, Lissy, and Cait, and Derek and Emmett who had stepped into the kitchen and, from what little she could hear, started bickering. "So…I guess you probably already know why I'm here."

"Of course," Hadley said gently. "You're still trying to find your husband and son."

Nora nodded. "Shaun, he's…he's going to be a year old soon, and…and if he's not with Nate and they're…I don't understand. Why them? What's the point of kidnapping someone and their baby?"

"Sounds like the kind of thing only a real sick bastard would do," Cait said darkly. "Can't even imagine what it must feel like to be missing people that important to you. It's terrible."

"It is," Nora said, pausing a moment to take a few sips of her wine. "Derek mentioned there's someone here in Diamond City who could help me at least start locating them. Do you know where to find them?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes," Piper said, sharing a knowing look with Lissy. "But, right now…"

"The guy you'll want to talk to is Nick Valentine," Lissy said, fidgeting with her glasses. "The only problem is he's missing himself. Has been for a couple of months, and it's been hell trying to even narrow down where he could be, other than trying to track down a mobster and where the man's operating out of."

"Doesn't your brother have some map of the remains of the old underground train system? Because that sounds like the kind of place a mobster and his gang would hole up," Cait said. "I thought Emmett finished it recently after some sort of thing with the other intellectuals in the city he spends all his time with, in that science place."

"I already gave it to Ellie," Piper told her. "She and Vadim are going to go through it the next few days, because he's gotten a few more tips from people coming and going from the bar. Apparently, he may have gone to look for them in a Vault, and one could be in the old subway system, though it doesn't sound like a very good place to put one. Either way, I guess the benefit of being a bartender is you hear a lot from all the people who come and go from the city, not just the regulars."

Lissy winked. "You mean us?"

Piper playfully elbowed her. "Of course I do."

"So, if we find this…you said his name is Nick Valentine?" Nora hesitated even after Cait and Piper nodded. "If we find him, he'll be able to help me with figuring out what happened to Shaun and Nate?"

"Absolutely," Piper said encouragingly. "If Ellie – she's Nick's secretary – and Vadim think they've got a strong lead to wherever Nick is, I'm happy to come with you to try and find him. He's a good guy, always wants to help whomever it is he can…and he's one of the smartest people I've ever met."

"If I ain't got anything I have to do, I'll join you," Cait added, stretching out her arms. "Been too damn long since I picked a good fight out in the wild. Besides, they can be more fun that way."

Lissy grimaced. "You two better be careful. If someone's managed to keep Nick somewhere this long, they're probably really good at their job, and I get the feeling they're the kind of people who would hunt other people for sport."

"You read too many books," Cait said, waving a hand dismissively. "Most likely the people he was investigating have locked him up somewhere. From what I've heard you and Piper say, they're probably some mobsters who prefer a cushy life. They most likely ain't a bunch of hardened raiders."

"You keep saying mobsters but..." Nora raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean they're the same as before the War?"

"Minus being around before the War, yeah," Cait said with a shrug. "People are all the same, sometimes, and some of 'em are always going to be into dressing and talking stupid while holding people hostage or fucking with people who've caused problems for 'em."

"You make them sound like the Institute," Lissy said with a slight shudder. "Although, then again, who knows how they dress there. Maybe the Institute is into high fashion."

Piper laughed. "I would pay to see an Institute fashion show," She turned to Nora when she regained her composure. "We'll find Nick, and, I promise…he will help you find your baby and your husband."

Cait nodded, sitting down beside Nora. "If it's not too much to ask," She said. "How are you feeling now? A lot of people would've already broken under this kind of shite."

"I…I don't know," Nora said quietly, startled, briefly, when Cait reached over and rested a warm hand on her knee before resting her head on her shoulder. Something in her began to feel strange, and she pushed it aside. "All I know is I can't give up hope, especially not on Shaun. He's my baby boy, the one person in the world I'm supposed to be able to protect…and I couldn't. I…I need to be able to find him, make sure he's alright. Whomever it is took him, whomever it was they may have given him to…they're going to pay."

"As they should," Piper shook her head. "What kind of monster takes a child away from their parents, anyways? Some people are just sick."

"They are. I thought, before the War, I already knew that. I was a prosecutor, and saw a lot of horrific cases during my time as a legal intern. But…" Nora swallowed hard, blinking back tears. "But seeing my baby be taken, and not being able to remember much of it beyond the cruel sneer of one of the people who took him, a man…I don't think I can forget his voice. And it's haunting."

"I can only imagine," Cait said, taking Nora's hands and reassuringly squeezing them. "You'll find the bastard, and, when you do, you'll be able to make him pay and reunite with your baby."

"I hope so," Nora said softly. "But it's hard to not feel defeated, some days. I…I'm his mother. How could something like this happen?"

"I don't know," Piper said, picking up a Nuka Cola from the coffee table and twisting the cap off. "I guess sometimes the world is just cruel, and too many people are just so damn selfish."

"They really are," Cait said before glancing at Nora, who she could feel shaking a little. "It'll be alright," She promised her. "Sooner or later, all this shite will be able to be put to rest one way or another."

"And, the second we find Nick, you can tell him everything," Piper encouragingly added. "Cait and I will be there for you, to find him…not only to keep each other safe but because no one should go through this alone. No one should go through what you have alone…and we'll do our best to make sure you never have to."

"Damn right," Cait said, lightly patting Nora's back. "You'll find the answers you're looking for. It just takes time."

Nora nodded, but said nothing, a strange yet pleasant feeling bubbling in her chest when Cait wrapped an arm over her shoulders.

Why am I so comforted by the words of a stranger?

The Institute
February the 6th, 2288
17:12

"Did you hear I'll be presenting a paper to the rest of the Directorate about our synths and the potential for their sentience in a few months? I'm quite excited for it."

Saving her work and looking up from her computer terminal, Dr. Rosalind Orman smiled at the head of Institute Robotics when he stepped into Advanced Systems. As always, Dr. Alan Binet was in a jovial mood, pausing to step into Dr. Li's laboratory to tell her the news personally, only to be snapped at and informed he was interrupting her experiment. Not letting her spoil his mood, Alan stepped back into the main concourse of the Advanced Systems Division, pausing to speak with a few of his colleagues who were surprised to see him outside of the two places he spent most of his time – his own Division, Robotics, and his home. All too happy to talk about his conviction of synth sentience, Alan only stopped himself when it occurred to him he had been going on about Eve a bit more than he had meant to. Dr. Ayo seems eager to bother her and Liam, constantly acting as though I would facilitate the escaping of our synths. Why would anyone do that? I certainly wouldn't want to inflict that kind of cruelty on any being, synth or not. After a few minutes, he turned to Dr. Orman, who had been listening curiously, walking over to where she was standing.

"Have you had that conversation with Dr. Ayo yet?" Rosalind sighed when he nodded grimly. "Well. I can't say I wish his aggravation on anyone, but I think I speak for most of us around here when I say I'll be glad for him to focus on trying to meddle with a different Division."

"I have to agree," Dr. Nathan Filmore remarked, briefly glancing between them before turning back to the blueprints he was drawing up. "I certainly don't envy Dr. Moseley, considering how much of his time not working in the field is spent acting as the intermediary between Madison and Justin. Justin has been trying to interfere with and take resources away from us for months, and has only escalated things further in the past few weeks."

"It's worse than that," Dr. Newton Oberly said with a hint of irritation to his voice, stepping into the Division concourse from the Institute reactors, locking the access to that part of the Division with a swipe of his ID card. "He's had Coursers begin unannounced security sweeps. Waking up to Coursers ransacking my quarters in the middle of the night is totally unacceptable, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be having words with Father about it."

"Allie already has," Nathan told him. "Lucky for us, I suppose, we were up late talking when the Courser came in and attempted to search Quentin's things. After what happened, he's – understandably – terrified of them, and it woke up both him and Jacqueline. I had to calm him down from a panic attack while Allie had the Courser removed, and none of us slept well afterwards."

"That's ridiculous, even for Justin," Alan shook his head. "Unfortunately, he's done the same to me too. He even threatened to take Eve and perform a mind wipe on her."

Rosalind frowned. "I thought the Directorate had agreed what happens between you and Eve is your business and nobody else's?"

"We did," Alan said. "But, apparently, he doesn't seem to think much of the agreement, never mind Father's approval of it. His treatment of her is disgusting, and using Coursers to not only pry into my personal life but threaten an indispensable companion to myself and my son is simply wrong."

"Dr. Li has had issues with him going through everyone's things too," Rosalind said, sharing a knowing look with Nathan and Newton. "From what I heard, she took up the matter with Father, and I get the feeling he had words with Dr. Ayo about it, because Dr. Li also has gotten Ayo barred from entering Advanced Systems without her express permission."

"Justin has stepped well beyond his purview," Newton frowned. "I suspect this will stop soon, however. I don't imagine Father will let this continue, not with pushback from multiple Division Heads. He takes Dr. Filmore and Dr. Li very seriously, too. When either one of them raise a matter with Father, he listens. If both of them raise an issue, he will absolutely take them seriously."

"I wouldn't expect any less," Alan said. "On a much lighter note, what do you make of my synth sentience conjecture?"

"I find it quite plausible," Newton said, laughing. "As I've said before, the new synths are so lifelike, I sometimes mistake them for real people."

"I'm a little unsure," Nathan shook his head. "I'm no psychiatrist or neurobiologist. I suppose they could be sentient, and I do find myself forgetting they aren't from time to time, particularly after working with Father's child synth project. S9-23 is amazingly like Father, and I'm sure understanding him better will help provide us answers to whether or not synths can develop their own personalities and sentience."

"The boy is an incredible development," Alan eagerly agreed. "I know Dr. Li has her own reservations and…disagreements with the project, as she's quite focused on Phase Three and doesn't want to have any distractions from it. Phase Three is important, don't misunderstand me, but we can't neglect other lines of research just to prioritise Phase Three."

"Absolutely, but the sooner Phase Three is completed, the better. I'm not going to miss everyone complaining about insufficient power levels," Newton said. "Particularly considering how much stress it has put on those of us in Facilities," He turned to Nathan. "I'm sure Allie has plenty to say on the subject."

"She does," Nathan replied. "I completely understand why. She has enough to think and worry about, and enough to work on, without having to constantly divert and adjust our current power sources to meet needs. It doesn't help we have to constantly pull from a variety of power sources on the surface at the moment."

"Well, once Phase Three is able to be implemented, we should be able to put that behind us," Rosalind said excitedly. "One day, I may even be able to design a more efficient reactor to improve on if not completely replace one or both of those old clunkers in the basement! To be completely honest, I've already started thinking about the next reactors. I'm convinced antimatter is the way to go, but I haven't got the concept fully thought out quite yet. It's alright, though. We've got decades before we may even be able to test something like that for efficiency and efficacy, even on a miniscule scale."

Alan nodded. "And what do you think of the synths we've been developing recently?"

Rosalind shrugged. "From what I can tell, it sounds like we're only scratching the surface with the latest synths. I haven't spent much time with any synths, not even S9-23, but there's so much potential in them. I'm sure we haven't explored all possibilities with them, yet. What possibilities are you focusing in on for the paper you're going to present to the rest of the Directorate?"

"A couple of things, but the one I find the most immediately fascinating is regarding a recent observation Dr. Loken and I have made," Alan said eagerly. "I fully intend to use it as a way to shut down some of the SRB's attempts to interfere with Robotics as well. I do miss Dr. Zimmer. If he were here, none of this nonsense would be happening, but, I'm sure, my presentation will eventually shut Justin down and put a rest to the SRB's interference in Robotics. I certainly won't miss Ayo's Coursers looking over my shoulder all day."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "How would you manage that?"

"SRB scientists have been saying our most recent synths, the third generation synths, are malfunctioning," Alan said, a hint of annoyance entering his voice. "They've claimed the increasingly autonomic behaviours observed in the synths is a malfunction. It is not. Now, Justin has been escalating his manipulative power plays, as we all have agreed, but his demands for scouring through the behavioural mappings in the synths are ridiculous because there is nothing wrong with our synths. I've said it before, but I will say it again. The third generation synths are functioning just as designed."

"So, the point of your research and presentation for the Directorate will be to prove they're sentient?" Rosalind eyed him strangely. "And their sentience isn't a defect?"

"Precisely," Alan said. "Justin and so many others firmly hold the archaic opinion about the synths being inferior, but, by limiting them, we limit our work. There doesn't necessarily have to be a distinction between them and us. They are meant to coexist with us, in some ways as an evolution of us. The synths possess vast, untapped potential, if we'd only let them show it. But no matter. Dr. Loken and I have observed clear, visible signs of consciousness and sentience."

"You have?" Nathan said, surprised. "What signs?"

"Well, as I said, our synths are truly remarkable, and, every day, they manage to surprise me," Alan said happily. "At first, Dr. Loken was sure it was a software malfunction for fine motor control, but we've been able to rule out any software or hardware issues that would cause this phenomenon. As of late, we've begun to see our synths experiencing involuntary twitching and rapid eye movements while sleeping. I need to perform more brain scans, but it appears our synths have the capacity to and do dream!"

"Is that so?" Newton paused in consideration when Alan nodded. "That's fascinating."

"And, if synths dream, they have a consciousness," Alan excitedly added. "Which is why I have begun to wonder this – if a synth can dream, why can't it have a soul? And, if a synth has a soul, wouldn't it be a living person by every standard we can measure? Me personally, I would say yes."

Goodneighbour
February the 13th, 2288
15:51

Wading through ankle deep water and having to kill mirelurks was nothing new. It had been a natural part of living in the former Capital, even more so after he had moved to Rivet City as a teenager.

Having do it while surrounded by people who had no idea what they were doing, however, was new and very, very, very unwelcome.

With little information from Bobbi, who had, last he heard, scurried off to Diamond City to bribe a friend out of jail, the only good thing about her being gone was he could leave the mirelurk killing to the variously strange, frequently high guys who were, also, concerningly bad at shooting. Shuddering a bit to himself, having had to dodge out of the way of far too many bullets for what would, under normal circumstances, be an easy job, MacCready more than happily went up the stairs back into Bobbi's place, as she called it. With a thumb drive he had gotten from Hancock in hand, he slowly snuck up to the main house, and, to his relief, it was more than evident Bobbi was still gone. Trying not to think too hard on whatever it was she could be doing other than 'just helping out a friend,' he took a look around to make sure there weren't any hidden surveillance devices. Once it was clear there weren't any and no one was around to see him, MacCready made his way up the second set of stairs to Bobbi's personal office. Sure enough, as he had suspected, her computer terminal was there, plugged in and turned on, albeit locked on a screen saver. He gagged when he sat down at the desk in front of it, the image Bobbi had chosen as her screensaver unsettling him.

What kind of psychopath has a picture of severed heads as their screensaver?

It took a minute for the login screen to appear, and he breathed a sigh of relief when it did. The screensaver disappearing was a good thing on its own, but the computer terminal being accessible was itself a good sign. Taking a quick look over his shoulders, MacCready paused to listen to ensure no one else had come into the building without being seen. As soon as he was sure he was still alone, he turned back to the computer terminal, slowly beginning to try and hack into it. Eventually, he got past the security and into the computer terminal. Its home screen was not much better than the screensaver, and he tried not to look at it too closely. A bit glitchy, the computer terminal crashed a few times before finally letting him open up the navigation to access Bobbi's files. Who needs acid when you have a glitchy computer? More than a little annoyed with the device, MacCready bit back the urge to swear at the computer, and the same feeling of guilt he had been hit with when he realised he had almost instinctively sworn when he had realised Hancock was the one who interrupted his and Bobbi's fight in the Third Rail returned. I'm sorry, Duncan, I don't know what's wrong with me. Closing his eyes briefly to try and calm his breathing and heart rate, MacCready eventually refocused himself on what he was doing.

Finally, he managed to open up one of the files in Bobbi's (unsurprisingly) messy and disorganised computer terminal.

Personal Notes –

23/10/2287, send flowers to that funeral for the guy found beaten and on the verge death in Hotel Rexford with a note simply stating 'love forever, Louise.' Should be a damn funny joke.

13/11/2287, begin operation with Mel to slowly drain Marowski's chems going to that rich pretty boy out of Diamond City who's always flashing his dad's money.

20/11/2287, send the guys down with Mel to begin excavations for the big dig, and prepare for things to move quickly with the project.

23/12/2287, make arrangements for lacing Hancock's chems if he leaves them out on new year's eve.

3/1/2288, find out Hancock's 'new years resolutions' if he has any and sabotage them before this first month of the new year is over.

"Well, that's useless," MacCready muttered, navigating back to the home screen to look for more documents. "And creepy."

The Map –

So, here's what I know: the map I got stolen off those raiders was drawn up under the orders of some city planner at the State House, a Sebastian Mullins, and right before bomb day! Looks like the city was planning on expanding the subway system, but the big kaboom ended that. At least somebody'll make use of it. The map shows a subway tunnel not too far from my own basement here in Goodneighbour! And, from there, a network of underground utility areas that lead right to that bastard mayor's strong room. All I have to do is dig through, and I'm in like Flynn.

After fighting with the computer a bit more, MacCready managed to download the file to Hancock's thumb drive. When the file finished downloading, he went back to the home screen, pulling up another file. Just a few lines in, he was about ready to cheer, sure he would be able to be finished with the whole operation the second Hancock got the information.

Rant –

Hancock had a word with me today. Said he was worried about me hiring up. That he suspects I'm up to something. I told him I'm always up to something. Told him to get out until he has news for me. I am so sick of Hancock and his dumb smug mug. The second anybody else gets any power around these parts, he comes in and squashes it. He thinks everyone who has the privilege of living in this dump owes him everything. He's wrong. He owes me for the time I wasted here. I'm going to be somebody. I'll show him. What a cunt. Those chems aren't going to be his much longer. If he were smarter, he would know a better place to hide them. Lucky for me, the man is much more predictable than he thinks he is...

"And there it is," MacCready grinned when he set the file to download to Hancock's thumb drive as well. The second it was done, he saved the information to it and removed the thumb drive. "Finally. Last thing I want is to have to keep putting up with her. She ain't right."

He jumped a bit in his skin when the screensaver briefly flashed on the screen again, but paused when he noticed the computer terminal was connected to a safe. Slipping the thumb drive into his pocket, and taking another look around his surroundings to make sure he was still alone, he turned back to the computer. A little bit of digging through files and applications, and he found the programme to disable the locking mechanism on the safe. Waiting to hear the click of the safe unlocking, MacCready then shut down all of the files and programmes on the computer terminal before logging out and turning the device off. Setting down his bag, he fought with the safe for a minute before getting it to open. Much to his surprise, a lot of what was in the safe was junk. Who locks stuff like this up anyways? Albeit somewhat difficult with all of the disorganised junk haphazardly jammed into the safe, he unzipped his bag and dropped in the few items of note. Apart from a few holotapes, which he assumed would be at the very least interesting to Hancock, the safe had some things worth taking. A pulse grenade, cryo mine, fragmentation mine, and a surprising amount of both medicine and chems. Better I have these than her. And some of the chems will sell well…who keeps this much jet and mentats in storage? The creaking of the building briefly startled him, and he quickly dropped the last few things into his bag, zipped it up, and shut and locked the safe again.

Slowly making his way back down the stairs and slinging his bag over his shoulder, MacCready took one last look around to make sure he was alone and not being watched or listened to. The second he was sure, he slipped out the doors and into the alleyway. He paused to catch his breath and calm down, shaking himself out before walking back onto the main streets of Goodneighbour. The city was unsurprisingly lively, and the afternoon slowly disappearing only seemed to be amplifying it. A few kids were chasing each other around. The various members of the neighbourhood watch were wandering about, occasionally adjusting or working on their guns. When he opened the doors to the Old State House, he paused in the doorway for a few seconds, paranoia of being trailed seizing him, before going into the building and slamming the door shut behind him. Trying not to focus on the way Hancock's guards were watching him, MacCready almost frantically made his way up the stairs to Hancock's office, only to find him not there and Fahrenheit sitting on the couch, her legs kicked up on the table. Hearing footsteps, Fahrenheit glanced up from polishing her knives, already cleaned and polished guns beside her on the couch, to critically eye the twenty two year old mercenary nervously standing in the doorway. She then waved him in with a faint smirk and lit up a cigarette before waving at two other guards to shut the doors, which they promptly did.

"I got the information," MacCready told her, pulling out the holotapes and thumb drive, setting them down on the table. "Bobbi's trying to rob Hancock and dig her way to wherever it is he keeps his chems. Speaking of which…where is he?"

Fahrenheit smirked. "He's going to be gone for a while. But don't worry. I'm not cruel. I'll take a look at those before him. And," She laughed. "You aren't going back there. You've done your part…and I'm sure Hancock will decide what to do with you once he gets a look at these."

MacCready grimaced as he sat down on the couch across from hers. "I don't like the way you're saying that."

"I know," Fahrenheit said, taking a smug draw on her cig. "I didn't get to the top of this town by playing fair, and toying with my pawns is just part of the fun for me. Don't forget it, Little Bird."

"Little Bird?" MacCready raised an eyebrow, leaning forward from the couch across from her. "I haven't been called that before."

Fahrenheit rolled her eyes. "It's your pseudonym around here, at least to me and Hancock. Do yourself a favour – don't forget it."

"Alright, but, I have to ask," MacCready said, eyeing her strangely. "How did you two come up with that anyways?"

"You have your secrets, and so do we," Fahrenheit said, shrugging. "What does it matter? We aren't changing it. To us, you're Little Bird, and nothing you say can change that. Sorry to disappoint you. Were you anticipating us to call you something a little bit more formidable?"

"I wasn't expecting the two of you to call me anything at all," MacCready said, trying not to laugh. "Who came up with it? You or Hancock?"

"Hancock," Fahrenheit told him. "He's decided the name suits you. Did you expect anything less?"

MacCready hesitated. "If I'm being honest," He finally said. "I would have thought you to be the one who comes up with strange things to call people."

"Oh, I often am," Fahrenheit took a long draw on her cig. "But in this case? Far be it from me to take credit for something thought up by Hancock. Don't forget who runs this town, Little Bird, don't you forget it."

Railroad Headquarters
February the 16th, 2288
12:39

"This is escalating far enough, Desdemona," Carrington said, irritably following after the twenty six year old leader of the Railroad as she returned to the organisation's headquarters. "Even you cannot possibly think letting anyone, even Deacon, do something this dangerous to be a half decent idea, let alone authorise such a thing."

"Identifying if the Institute has a concrete point of action in the Commonwealth is crucial, whether you like it or not," She said, resetting the cipher before closing the first of two doors into the old crypt. "This is potentially our only chance to pin down whether or not the Institute has dramatically expanded their operations in the Commonwealth, and it should be explored thoroughly. At the very least, we owe it to Stockton to free his adopted daughter from where she's most likely been held hostage for months."

Carrington let out a frustrated sigh, his eyes narrowing at Desdemona when she turned back, briefly, to ensure he wasn't left behind before entering the main crypt. Desdemona was herself unfazed by his arguing, having become more than well accustomed to it. In some ways, arguments with Carrington had become something of a routine. She barely paid any mind to him. Completely exasperated, Carrington muttered to himself in frustration, and went back to his work. Looking between the two, and all too aware of the arguments between Carrington and Desdemona, Glory sighed, running her hands through her short white hair. Nearby, Drummer Boy was anxiously running about, preparing information and holotapes for reports and dead drops. In a much different mood, Tom was humming to himself, jumping between his multiple computer terminals, a Pip-Boy hooked up to them for analysis of the data and operating systems on the device. For as hectic as things were, and for as palpable as the tension between Carrington and Desdemona was, they also seemed strangely quiet. A bit loathe to admit it to herself, Glory found things to be a bit boring without Deacon around. He rarely was gone for more than two weeks, and, while the information he was providing them was substantial, something about the lack of his presence was unsettling.

"What are the two of you arguing about this time?" Glory finally said, frowning when Carrington only turned to scowl at Desdemona. "Another decision come to a crossroads?"

"Yes," Carrington said irritably. "Desdemona is insisting it is a reasonable idea to let Deacon infiltrate a facility where the town he's already covertly investigating may be taking people hostage to determine whether or not they're synths."

"Deacon's instincts are solid, Carrington," Desdemona sharply reminded him. "And he won't be doing this alone. He will be with Stockton's man, and, more than that, provided additional cover by them going in with someone who knows absolutely nothing about the Railroad, let alone our –"

"We still don't know the full and final extent we were compromised after the Switchboard disaster. Our numbers are perilously few," Carrington said, exasperated. "To risk or potentially lose an asset as integral to our current operations as Deacon on a hunch is ludicrous!"

Desdemona narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going back underground, and I'm not going to cease major operations such as –"

"Why on earth not? For a few synths?" Carrington gaped at her. "See reason, Desdemona. You're suggesting risking a major asset on a hunch that could save a few synths if they're being held hostage by this town."

"I swore an oath to save every synth I can," Desdemona snapped. "And it's not only Deacon who is nearly certain this town has a facility where they are torturing people to see if they're synths. Infiltrating it will not only, likely, save the lives of many synths, including Stockton's adopted daughter, who by all accounts is most likely there, but determine whether or not this town is a part of the Institute!"

Carrington frowned. "All of that'll be a lovely epitaph on our tombstones. You do realise, if we are caught by the Institute, it will be a near absolute destruction of our organisation and there will be no one and nothing left to save synths. You are being –"

"Enough, Carrington," Desdemona said, raising a hand to silence him. "If anyone can and will pull this off, it's Deacon."

"And if he's found and killed?" Carrington shook his head. "His death would be solely on you, Desdemona, and just how many mistakes must be made before the others demand a better leader?"

"Des is right about Deacon, though," Tom said, pulling all of the devices on his headgear up to turn to where the doctor and Desdemona were arguing. "Deacon and Stockton's man could absolutely handle it alone, but with someone who doesn't know about us? It's the best opportunity to see if this town has their…what was it the report called it?"

"The report says the place is called the 'Compound,'" Drummer Boy nervously put in, handing a copy of the report to Carrington. "It's supposedly the place where the town tests the efficacy of the test they use to weed out synths, their 'SAFE Test.' There are two other people who are investigating the town, but Deacon suspects they're operatives with the Brotherhood Of Steel."

"Has he been compromised?" Glory said, turning to Drummer Boy. "Either Deacon or Stockton's man, that is."

"No, they haven't," Drummer Boy confirmed. "Their cover as nothing more or less than caravan workers out of Bunker Hill is more than secure. Deacon and Stockton's man have kept the information on their having identified the location of the 'Compound' to themselves and invited only the woman Desdemona referenced. This woman is from the Capital Wasteland, and knew nothing about the Institute before arriving here. She has absolutely no knowledge on us, something which has become increasingly apparent from further conversations with her."

"Deacon and Stockton's man have been very careful to keep her in the dark," Desdemona added. "From what I understand, the reason she is interested in this 'Compound' has no relationship to any of our reasons for interest in it."

Carrington sceptically glanced to her. "And what might those reasons be?"

"Deacon's report was quite thorough, I suggest you read it," Desdemona coldly said, but she then let out a tired sigh. "In short, she's a doctor from the Capital Wasteland. Her father was killed by members of the Enclave, shortly before the Enclave was finally defeated. Her interest in the town and its 'Compound' is a link she believes exists between it and a Vault-Tec Vault in the Capital Wasteland. Apparently, some of the Vault members killed a man who was something of a surrogate father to her, among other things she hasn't been particularly forthcoming about."

"So, what you're saying is a woman's desire for revenge may be just what we need?" Tom winked. "I like the sound of it. We let her help free the people being held in this 'Compound,' and she can do whatever she needs to do there without having to be let in on why Deacon and Stockton's man are really there or who they really work for."

"It could work," Carrington grudgingly conceded. "But what do we even know about this woman, other than where she originates from and why she's come to the Commonwealth?"

"I…I've got that," Drummer Boy glanced between him, Desdemona, Glory, and Tom, briefly unsure if he should speak. "It's also in the report, but…"

"Go on," Carrington said, waving a hand. "What is it we know?"

"Her name is Annette Davis," Drummer Boy hesitantly began. "She's in her late twenties, has light brown, almost dirty blonde hair at about knee length, wears reading glasses, has an unusual, non-American accent Deacon is pretty sure to be English, and is around 5'4'' and about a hundred and ten pounds. She practised medicine in a Vault in the Capital Wasteland but left around a year ago and has been investigating the circumstances leading up to her and her father having to leave the Vault temporarily. She was forced to leave the Vault for two years, during which she was held in custody of the Brotherhood Of Steel. After that, she went back to the Vault alone and, like I said, only left a year ago for the Commonwealth. She believes she could find the answers she's looking for in the 'Compound' but hasn't elaborated on why."

"At the very least, it sounds as though she could be a good distraction for Deacon and Stockton's man to free any synths who may be held captive there," Tom said eagerly. "Including Stockton's adopted daughter!"

"We're at a shit time," Glory said when Carrington began to protest. "If Deacon and Stockton's man are sure we won't be compromised by including this woman in the infiltration of the 'Compound,' then they're going to pull this off. Especially since they've apparently been very careful not to let those other people investigating the town know why we're there."

"They're sure this woman isn't a part of the Brotherhood Of Steel, too. Actually, given how she talks about them, it sounds like she despises them for just about holding her hostage for two years," Drummer Boy nervously went on. "That's part of why they only want to do this operation with her. The other two people they know are investigating the town are – from everything Deacon has been able to find out – part of the Brotherhood Of Steel."

"What's led them to come to that conclusion?" Carrington said, eyeing Desdemona critically. "Or is that a secret you intend to keep from me."

"Deacon found holotags with their names on them," Desdemona said shortly. "The two people in question presented themselves as Janet Haylen and Laurent Rhys, and Deacon found Brotherhood Of Steel holotags in their bags with those names on them."

Carrington frowned. "Sounds to be another unnecessary risk."

"It's quite the opposite," Desdemona told him. "As it happens, those two being part of the Brotherhood is another reason why Deacon and Stockton's man intend to carry out the operation with Annette Davis alone. She apparently did not take it well when he told her, and wants to keep the Brotherhood out of her investigation just as we want to keep them out of ours. From what I understand, she doesn't just despise the Brotherhood, but is terrified of them."

"This is probably the only chance we'll get for this," Glory said, pacing. "And it's probably the closest we'll get to infiltrating any piece of the Institute – at least for the time being – if it turns out the town is a part of them."

"I say we go for it," Tom said, elbowing Desdemona. "You agree, boss?"

"Since I imagine she'll give the order for them to go ahead with this either way, I won't argue any further," Carrington said, irritably eyeing Desdemona closely. "But I have to ask – have you already given the order without consulting with the rest of us?"

"Of course not," Desdemona said, her voice a bit sharpish. "But, if we're all in agreement, I will."

"We are," Tom assured her. "Should we start getting things ready for the dead drop?"

"Yes," Desdemona said, turning to Glory. "Can you pass them the information on your way to your next operation?"

"Absolutely," Glory said with a hint of a smile. "Whomever's behind hurting those synths doesn't stand a chance. By the time we're done with them, they'll be left wondering what the hell happened, and we'll have gotten those synths safely out of the Commonwealth by the time they realise they were infiltrated."

Capital Wasteland
February the 20th, 2288
18:26

"There is no other course of action. Once we are fully prepared, we make for the Commonwealth. The Institute and everyone responsible for the creation of the synths must be eliminated, at all costs."

Irritably pacing, Arthur Jonathan Maxson found himself more certain than ever that the Brotherhood had to act, and act swiftly. Just as we did with the Enclave, we will find this 'Institute' and their synths, and will deal with them mercilessly. There is no chance for peace. Their synths are an abomination of technology. It's madness anyone could believe a machine should have free will and masquerade as a human being. Just as certain of the need for action was his Lancer Captain of the Prydwen, Alexander Kells, who watched closely as Proctor Quinlan rolled out a detailed map of the Commonwealth, which had been updated with information received from Paladin Danse and his Reconnaissance Squad Gladius. Proctor Ingram raised an eyebrow, sharing a surprised glance with Proctor Teagan upon seeing much of the map to be thorough. Knight Captain Cade took a moment to scan over it in awe, and Kells and Maxson both approached the map in approval, surprised yet pleased by the amount of locations already identified by the Brotherhood. The group only paused to turn towards the door when it opened, only to ease a little when they saw it only to be Karissa Maxson entering with a few files in her hands.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the meeting, but I came across some disturbing information we need to consider, regarding the Institute," She said once she had shut and locked the door behind herself. "While in Rivet City yesterday, I crossed paths with a man I thought had long since left the Capital. A man I'm certain is a part of the Institute…and who has a synth accompanying him."

Her husband looked up at her in horror. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Karissa said, handing the files to Proctor Quinlan. "Truthfully, I'm glad to learn we have an…opportunity to learn more about the Institute from someone who just so happened to arrogantly walk into and remain in our locale."

"Who is this man?" Kells pressed. "What does he look like?"

"His name is Dr. Charles Zimmer," She said dutifully. "He's been in and out of the Capital and Rivet City in particular for about a decade now, from what I could gather from the science staff in Rivet City. He claims to be an Institute official, and I am inclined to believe he, in fact, is. He, as well, was apparently quite the nuisance to Dr. Madison Li during the war with the Enclave, before she left for the Commonwealth. According to Rivet City's current science staff, some of whom were there when Dr. Li was, Zimmer has been in and out of the Capital with the goal of 'retrieving' some important 'androids.'"

Quinlan frowned. "Androids? Is that another name they use for their synths?"

"I'm inclined to believe so, yes," Karissa shook her head. "I had the…surprisingly fortunate if unsettling interaction with him. According to him, the 'man' he has as a bodyguard is no man at all but, rather, a synthetic human. He went so far as to demand I help him find a particularly valuable android of his, one he has been trying to locate for about a decade, now, alongside other so-called 'high priority units' he already had returned to the Commonwealth. If he's being truthful – and from his attitude and condescension I suspect he is – then he is, in his own words, working to locate a highly advanced synth whose programming had been to retrieve other synths who escaped the Institute."

"Is he still in Rivet City?" Teagan raised an eyebrow when she nodded. "Can you give us a general physical description of him and his 'android' so we can have a Knight confront him and bring both him and the 'android' to us for interrogation?"

"Of course," Karissa said with a faint smile. "He's white, balding, in his sixties, around 5'11,'' bespectacled, well dressed in a decidedly expensive suit, and carries a distinct, ornate, modified Chinese pistol. As for the synth, it is designed to appear white, with a close shaved head, and in its thirties, as well as constructed to be around 6'3,'' male, and otherwise blends into normal human populations with ease. However, it shadows Zimmer everywhere, and rarely goes anywhere else."

"I'll send a Knight to find locate them both immediately," Kells told her. "Once we bring them back and restrain them, we'll have you identify them before beginning interrogation."

"Separate them once they're in our custody," Ingram said, and he nodded shortly. "Allowing them to remain in contact would make it incredibly difficult for us to get any information out of them."

"I'll inform the Knights of such immediately," Kells said. "You are correct. If we are to get any information out of them, we will need to use any and all means at our discretion to learn as much as we can about the Institute before we arrive in the Commonwealth."

"Absolutely," Cade agreed. "Thank you for bringing this to our immediate attention. This is, truly, a vital development."

"It is," Maxson said, though he looked worriedly to his wife when she approached him, seeing a faint bruise on her neck. "'Rissa?" He said, brushing her long hair over her shoulder and taking in a sharp breath when he saw the depth of the bruise. "Did he touch you?"

Karissa winced when his fingers grazed the bruise, and sighed when she saw the fear that crossed his face when he noticed. Much to her surprise, the two of them rarely physically affectionate in public, he loosely but protectively embraced her.

"His android attempted to attack me," She finally said. "Apparently, I got too close to Zimmer, and he decided I was dangerous, grabbing me by the neck. He only let me go when Zimmer ordered him to, and then informed me I 'ought not underestimate' him or lie if I came across his missing property."

"We'll tightly restrain them both," Kells assured her. "You will not be in danger from them once they are in our custody, Missus Maxson."

"Thank you for not hesitating to tell us about this," Cade added. "Being able to interrogate a likely member of the Institute will be immensely useful to us."

"Yes, it will be," Quinlan said with a frown. "Though it is regrettable you had to be assaulted by them. To accomplish our goal of destroying the organisation, we need to locate the Institute's headquarters, yes, but you should never have been put in danger, even by accident or coincidence."

"Quite true," Maxson said resolutely. "Interrogating and obtaining major information from them will be vital, especially considering, from the reports of Paladin Danse and his team, it seems the only logical explanation for our inability to locate the Institute thus far is they've gone underground. As soon as we find them and begin to implement our plan to destroy them, I expect total victory, and no excuses. Should anyone interfere with this, I'll show them what happens to traitors. As members and leaders of the Brotherhood, it is our sworn duty to exterminate the abominations known as the synths no matter the cost."

"Yes, it is," Ingram said. "This is a vital campaign, one we have to prepare for quickly and aggressively. The Institute are a terrible danger to everyone."

"They are. For now, you are all to bring the Institute official and his 'android' to us. Dismissed," Maxson waited for his Proctors, Knight Captain, and Lancer Captain to leave before turning back to his wife. "I know you might not want to discuss what happened…but – I have to know – are you sure you're alright now?"

"I am," Karissa promised. "Or, at least, I will be. It's only a bruise. I'll heal quickly."

"Alright. I won't let them hurt you again," Her husband sighed before lightly kissing her. "They will not get away with this, not harming you…nor creating and continuously constructing such horrific abominations of technology as their 'synths.'"