Crawled Out Through The Fallout

Chapter 38

I stood up and looked through the window of the room I was in. I had taken a shower and got completely clean for the first time since before the war. I was now dressed in a white coat and pants, with my gear stocked in a drawer. 

The guide synth walked in and told me Father wanted to see me. I nodded and followed the synth. It took me through the long halls full of busy people and down to the main room. 

I walked up to Father, who greeted me with a smile.

"I'm sure now that you've had time to wrap your head around things, you have some questions."

I nodded. I do have lots of questions. But how many can I ask before you get suspicious of me? 

"I am very excited to learn more. People are afraid of what they don't understand. I want to understand the Institute, so I can help."

Father nodded in approval.

"Come with me, I can give you a tour."

He began to walk, following one of the colored paths on the ground.

"First, I will show you where our generation three synths are made. It's quite a feat of technology."

I walked into the room he gestured to, and found a large machine molding a human form out of gelatinous substances.

"Amazing. What are they made of?"

"A type of stem cell that has been generalized to create a base for any human shape."

I looked on with wonder as the machine finished another synth, setting it on the ground and beginning the next one.

"How long does it take to make one?"

"Five minutes for physical body. Ten to program it with specific traits."

And one to kill it, I think to myself. 

"What do you use to power this place? You must use an immense amount of power."

"We have a nuclear reactor in the lowest level that provides all the power we could need."

"That's smart. Nuclear is very efficient, and relatively clean."

Father nodded. 

"Not to mention other fuel would burn through quickly, with no place for it to escape."

"Exactly. Next, we will go to synth retention. That is where your part will begin. We have use for someone with your skills there."

...

After the tour and getting an assignment, I went back to my room to get dressed in my Wasteland gear. The assignment is to bring back an escaped synth who is wreaking havoc on the Commonwealth. Sounds easy enough. And they even gave me a Courser to work with. This might be fun if it wasn't working for the boogeyman of the Commonwealth.

Before I teleported out, I felt a lump in my pocket. I pulled it out, and remembered it was the holotape Sturges gave me. I went to the terminal in my room and loaded it. When it was finished, I took it out and put it back in my pocket. Now, it was time for me to go back to the surface.

...

After my eyes adjusted to the natural light, I looked around. I was on the bridge to Sanctuary Hills. I smiled and started running towards the big house. I was greeted by everyone enthusiastically. Piper crushed me in a bear hug, while Preston was excitedly blabbering about a new settlement he had helped. I handed the holotape to Sturges.

"One holotape, fresh from an Institute terminal."

"Wonderful! I'll get working on this right away!"

I smiled as Sturges walked away. Piper was still hugging me when I looked at her, then around the room. 

"Where's Deacon?"

"I don't know."

I pulled away from her grip and ran outside. I looked up and down the street, but there was no sign of him. Then, I had an idea. I sprinted up the hill, past the Vault entrance. And there he was, sitting in that plastic chair. I climbed the rocks on the hill, too eager to go around the hillside.

"Dee! I'm back."

Deacon stood up faster than anyone I've ever seen and nearly tackled me in a powerful hug.

"I am so happy you're back, boss. I didn't know what to do with myself, considering there's nothing to kill or steal without you around."

I laughed and hugged him back.

"It's good to see you too. I have to talk to the Preston about the Institute. I have an idea of how to take them down."

He took my hand as we ran down the hill back to the house. We found Preston making his rounds near the bridge. I took them to another empty house to discuss what I had found.

"Preston, we have a way to destroy the Institute from the inside."

"That's excellent news. How do we do that?"

"They are powered by a large nuclear core that is being regulated. If we remove the restriction parameters, it will explode., taking the Institute with it."

"Sounds dangerous."

I grinned, and exchanged a look with Deacon.

"It's not the most dangerous thing I've ever done. We can use the teleport frequency to bring in more of you, then you get me to that reactor. And then we teleport out and boom. Institute is no more."

Preston thought and nodded.

"Alright. But two things. We need to get Sturges in so we can make the teleporter work in our favor. And we need reinforcements."

"Figure out a way to get Sturges in, and I'll handle the reinforcements."