fo4 b 3 ch 5 the big dig part 2
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To call the small collection of holding cells built within the ruins of the old stadium locker room a Jail would have been generous at best- in reality, they were four separate cells with just enough space to pace in, housing two dirty mattresses on either side of the barred confines, with a bucket to relieve oneself.
'Man,' Audrey reflected as she entered the shabby facility, leaving MacCready outside to wait. 'I wouldn't want to endure an extended stay here...'
Approaching the only currently occupied cell, she gave the unremarkable man inside a dubious look before requesting his attention.
"Mel?"
Upon hearing his name, the bored, scruffy young blondes head jerked in her direction, and her gaze was met by a pair of cool grey eyes that, upon seeing her, quickly filled with suspicion. He was older than her- physically- but still young enough to be considered youthful, with a tall gangly build and patchy, thin scruff clinging to his angular jawline. He wore a dirty, oil-stained denim jacket over a dingy grey T-shirt, and a pair of dark cargo pants that looked like they had seen better days. His boots were well broken in, so worn down that the tread no longer existed.
"Mel here, can I help you?" He asked politely, pushing himself into a sitting position on his mattress to give her his full attention.
" ...Yeah. I hear you're some kind of tech expert?" She inquired casually, wondering how a young diamond city guy like him came to be affiliated with a ghoul like Bobbi no nose...
"You herd right- well, maybe tech is too general. I have a thing for robots." He admitted light heartedly, before quickly back tracking to clarify his statement as her expression faltered. "No, not that kind of thing- but I know my way around most machines, yeah. Why? Need help with something?"
"I...I'm getting you out of here." She announced matter of factly, causing him to shoot a startled look toward the guard posted by the door.
"If so, maybe you shouldn't be announcing it so every guard in diamond city can hear?"
Unbothered, Audrey rolled her eyes at his presumptive suggestion- As a former lawyer, she had zero intentions of unlawfully removing him from custody. Instead, she planned on using more civilized tactics to get him out.
"Officer?" She called out to the singular guard standing nearby, giving him an apologetic smile as she interrupted whatever daydream he had been entertaining in his obvious boredom...
"You got something to say?" He answered lamely, turning his attention toward her with a lazy, unconcerned expression. Flipping her ponytail over her shoulders, Audrey began to fidget almost nervously with her hair.
"Sorry, I just was wondering- uh- erm... Why exactly is Mel in here?" She asked meekly, purposefully stammering as she looked up at him shyly from beneath her lashes. "What are his charges?"
Brows furrowing, the guard gave her a slow, deliberate once over before shifting his gaze slowly toward the inmate in question, giving a little shrug.
"Him? He was caught trying to reprogram the robot down at the tap house to give him free drinks...Between you and me- I'd totally do that if I knew how." He admitted nonchalantly, demonstrating a sense of apathy that bolstered her confidence.
"Oh, what a relief! That doesn't sound so bad...Is there any way I could get him out of lock up?"
In response to the request, the guard shot another surprised look between her and the petty would-be thief, and a look that might have been jealousy crossed his plain, soft features.
"Huh, I didn't know Mel had friends..." He quipped with sarcastic incredulity, shaking his head as he spoke. " Alright- hes pretty much done his time anyway. Just let me open up the door."
As he moved toward the cell, the guard brandished a set of old tarnished keys, and Audrey smiled triumphantly at her new prospective partner, wagging her eyebrows as he pushed himself eagerly to his feet.
"Alright- you're free to go buddy!" The guard informed Mel amiably, slipping the key into the lock and giving it a quick turn. As the cell door swung open, The young tech's brows rose to crease his pale forehead, and he stepped out timidly, unable to believe his luck.
"Great!" He exclaimed after a few moments had elapsed, elated by the unexpected turn of events. "Now let's just...get out of here."
"After you." Audrey answered smugly, a small grin decorating her features as she gestured with one hand toward the exit.
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Once outside, Mel was noticeably relieved, taking in a deep breath of crisp evening air and expelling it in a lengthy decompressive sigh before turning toward her with an expectant expression.
"Thanks for getting me out I guess...so, I'm assuming you're Bobbies new toy?"
"Pretty accurate assumption- how did you know that?" She asked, impressed by his perceptiveness. Had Bobbi somehow managed to get word to him before sending her in to free him?
"No one else would put this much effort in for me." He explained, shaking his head as his lips quirked into a half hearted smile. "God, that woman doesn't have a patient bone in her body- I wasn't serving a life sentence here! What? she couldn't wait like, a day? What's the job?"
Surprised by the warmth and humor coloring his tone as he spoke of the ghoulish woman, Audrey again wondered at the nature of their relationship- His words implied they may be closer than simple business partners, despite her obvious ulterior motives for arranging his release.
"Bobbi can fill you in on the details..." She told him reproachfully, figuring it would be best if he heard the plan straight from the horse's mouth...
"Yeah, cos I'll get so much outta her..." He answered sardonically, rolling his eyes and scoffing at the idea with a bemused smirk. Audrey laughed in response to the remark.
"You sound like you know from experience."
"Yeah, Bobbi maybe shady, but she always pays up in the end..." He admitted light heartedly, sounding more confident in their auspicious leader than she felt herself. " So...I guess ill get my stuff together and head over to her place then."
In response to this, Audrey nodded, straightening as she offered a warm parting smile.
"Sounds good- you go on ahead. I'm gonna stick around a bit to stock up on ammunition. I have a sneaking suspicion that we're gonna need it..." Nodding, her new acquaintance returned the expression politely.
"Okie dokie- safe travels then!"
Waving, Mel excused himself from her presence at once, happy to be on his way- and as Audrey watched him go, MacCready rejoined her in the light outside the old locker rooms, a cigarette still smoldering between his lips...
"It looks like that went well." He observed smartly, earning a sour look from his partner.
"Ofcorse- Did you doubt me?" She asked, shooting him a look full of faux indignation that he returned with a teasing grin.
"Never."
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Back in Goodneighbor, Fahrenheit took advantage of Bobbi No-Nose's absence to break into her warehouse in the small hours of the morning while the town still slept. Roscoe and Desoto tagged along, dutifully keeping watch by the entry way as she helped herself to the private terminal on the second floor- It took several tries, but eventually she was able guess the password and gain access to the ghouls journal entries.
"Really? 1, 2, 3, 4?" She murmured incredulously to herself when the homepage opened up. "Dads gonna be stoked when he hears this..."
Swiftly, she scrolled through dozens of entries, skimming through months of seemingly unimportant details surrounding the history of Boston and its geographical layout before finally making it to her most recent logs, where things began to tie together and make sense.
Jackpot.
I finally got my hands on a map of underground Boston! I know planting one of my men at the mass Statehouse would pay off.
As expected, the Raiders there weren't hard to work over. Those idiots can't even read! They kidnapped some luckless scavenger to read through what they could find, looking for some big treasure in there. The fools don't even know the importance of what they're holding!
That's the problem with Raiders- They think too small...
So, here's what I know: The map was drawn 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 be able to make use of it.
The map shows a subway tunnel not too far from my own basement here in Goodneighbor! And from there, a network of underground utility areas that lead right to that bastards Strongroom. All i have to do is dig through and im in like flynn!
As the first entry came to an end, and Bobbi's grand scheme was revealed, Fahrenheit felt a smug smile tug at her lips.
" Gotcha." She murmured satisfactorily, proud of herself for taking the risk that resulted in the obtainment of such intel. Eager to find more, the adolescent redhead continued, moving on to the next entry...
Hancock had a word with me today. Said he was concerned about me hiring up- That he suspects I'm up to something...I told him up always up to something- told him to get out until he has news for me.
I am so sick of him and his dumb mug! The second somebody else gets any power around these parts and he comes in and squashes it! He thinks everyone who has the privilege of living in this dump owes him everything! He's wrong though- he owes me for all the time I've wasted here!
I'm gonna be somebody someday...I'll show him.
Satisfied that she had gleaned all the information available on the ghoulish woman's private terminal, Fahrenheit backed out of the journal entries and shut down the machine before making her way down the stairwell to check out the basement, and the progress of the dig...
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While the division head of the bioscience department, Dr. Holdron, seemed amiable enough, his partner, Dr. Karlin, was far less personable than Dr. Fillmore had been. Upon entering the biology lab, Nate found himself more than intrigued by the lush, vibrant green gardens the botanists had managed to cultivate, impressed by how well the indoor plants seemed to be growing despite the lack of natural sunlight- but he soon forgot about the selection of carefully bred and expertly spliced plant specimens when he came upon the large jungle habitat built into the far wall of the laboratory. To his amazement, the sizable habitat was occupied by large, captive gorillas living on display behind a thick wall of glass that allowed for constant observation. He had been ogling the beasts in slack jawed awe when the sounds of nearby conversation broke him out of his amazed trance, reminding him of his purpose there...
"Have you had time to examine my latest reports on batch 2743?" One man was inquiring curiously, somewhere beyond the meticulously manicured jungle of genetically modified fruits and vegetables
"Not yet- I've been reviewing fathers plans to expand our operations at Warwick." A second voice responded in turn. " He's eager to get that going, so I've had to put everything else to one side."
This voice sounded much younger than the first, Nate noted carefully as he made his way through dense, thriving gardens in search of its source.
"Hmm...I wonder how the Warwick family is doing?" the older voice wondered out loud after a few moments of reflection, sounding wistful. " Young Wally must be close to ten years old by now- Its remarkable that any child could survive so long up there, don't you think?"
"I...I try not to think too much about it- we have more than enough to occupy ourselves here. Those people are the last remnants of a dying past- its best not to dwell on the subject."
The callous statement was met with a haughty snort of derision from the older man.
"They're still people- and they're suffering! you can at least admit that it's regrettable- after all, how can we hope to redefine mankind if we can't even hold on to our own humanity?"
There was obvious disapproval in his tone, and Nate would have bet the man's face matched the tone of his spoken word.
Moments later Nate rounded a corner, entering a small clearing near the back of the atrium, where the Division head- Dr. Holdron, clad in one of the highly identifiable green accented lab coats that set him apart from the rest of the botanist's meandering about the gardens- bent over a raised planter, accompanied by an older man that appeared to be comparing different plant samples beneath a microscope while recording observations.
"Well, that's a question best left to our colleagues in the robotics division." Dr. Holdron stated matter of factly, shrugging off the moral dilemma his partner had imposed.
"Yes well...i suppose you're right." The older man amended reluctantly, abandoning the topic of conversation to refocus on the work in front of him.
Taking care not to startle the pair, Nate made sure his footsteps were audible as he approached, joining the older man where he stood by a tall wooden table and offering him a cool, friendly smile.
"Hey, what's up doc?" He joked conversationally, hoping to break the ice with the older man. To his dismay, his attempt at opening a dialogue was not appreciated, and the joke fell flat. Blinking rapidly, the older man made a face, shooting him a disparaging look before dignifying him with a response.
"Yes yes, I'm sure that whatever it is you have to say is very interesting, but now simply isn't a good time." He grumbled impatiently, waving Nate off rudely as he made a show of looking preoccupied.
"Why? working on something important?" He persisted, causing the man to heave a heavy sigh before reluctantly turning to address him once more.
" To answer your question, all my work is important- Now, if your quite finished, I'd very much like to get back to these slides...they're difficult enough to compare without distractions."
Snorting, Nate cast a doubtful look toward the carefully organized plant samples adorning the surface of the table, unimpressed with the work in question.
"...Sounds like somebodies a little full of himself." He muttered sarcastically, just loud enough for the man to hear. Shooting Nate a dry look, the grouchy geezer issued a haughty snort, allowing himself to be baited by the instigative remark.
" Hardly- there is little room for ego in science- I'm simply trying to tell you in as polite a manner as possible that i am busy. Now, goodbye." He reiterated arrogantly, physically trying to shoo the unwelcome visitor away from his station. Insulted by the man's standoffish behavior and disrespectful tone, Nate felt his temper flare.
"Hey, if your busy that's one thing, but i don't think i appreciate your tone." He informed haughtily, taking a concise step toward the man and causing him to shrink back in fear.
"My...tone?" The old man stammered incredulously, frantically back tracking in response to the unexpected hostility. " There's no need to take offense- as you can clearly see im deeply involved my observations. I apologize for not taking the time to explain my work to you, but i honestly don't think you would understand- so please, accept my apology and please be on your way..."
"Fine. i didn't come here to talk to some up jumped farm hand anyway- I need to speak with your division head."
"...Up jumped farm hand? Now wait just a damn minute-"
"-Nope, you had your chance buddy. The moments passed."
Pushing passed the fuming Botanist, Nate turned his attention deliberately onto Dr. Holdron, who had been listening to the altercation with an expression of subdued amusement as he continued his work with the plants before him...
"Sgt. Stryder. Welcome! I apologize for Dr. Karlans curt behavior- He's making some remarkable observations regarding our genetically engineered crops...I'm Dr. Holdron, head of the bioscience division- I can't wait for you to see some of the work were doing here, its truly amazing."
"I see...I hope you don't mind, but ill be reserving judgement until i know more about it."
Chuckling humorously, Dr. Holdron nodded in understanding, amused by Nate's reservations regarding the crotchety old mans studies.
"In that case, allow me to give you a brief overview of what it is we do here- As the name implies, the bioscience division specializes in field of study such as Botonny, Genetics, and Medicine. Our most important directive is to ensure the health and well-being of everyone in the institute- To that end, we cultivate highly specialized breeds of flora, for use in food and medicine. we've even started to explore the idea of synthetic animal life- you probably saw the gorillas on your way in? They're really just a pet project at this point, but the potential is exciting none the less."
"The gorillas are synths too?" Nate asked incredulously, surprise quickly being replaced with disappointment.
"They are indeed, and judging by your reaction, we've done a good job making them seem lifelike! The initiative is still in its early stages, but the prospects are very exciting."
Taking a deep breath, the disgruntled veteran took a deep breath and shook his head before mumbling a sarcastic remark. "Yeah, i can't imagine anything more exciting than fake gorillas..."
In truth, the idea sounded like a waste of time to him- with technology like theirs, they could be spending their time creating useful things- things to really help people.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, i didn't quite catch that?"
"Erm, I mean...Seems like there's nothing you guys' can't do." Nate corrected himself, not wanting to risk alienating the young division head by insulting his work. Dr. Holdron seemed t appreciate this, giving the older man a appreciative smile.
"Speaking only for myself, i find them fascinating- ofcorse, i might be a little biased. See, i don't believe that every discover needs to be useful. Sometimes we innovate for no other reason than to learn what's possible! With hard work and ingenuity, any challenge can be overcome."
"Sounds inspiring- I look forward to seeing that ingenuity at work." He lied, if only to sound polite. " Is there anything i might be able to do to help?"
Hesitating, the young botanist seemed to consider Nate for the span of several long moments before responding.
"There might be." He revealed thoughtfully. " Tell you what, once you've finished checking things out and meeting everybody, check back in with me here. I'll see what i can find out."
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